The Secrets they Know
by kryliadarr
Summary: This started with me exploring Kuroko's past, but is turning into GOMxKuroko. Set a few months after the Winter Cup. RATING CHANGED! I HAVE ART!
1. Chapter 1

I tried using first names when people are thinking, and last names when we have a 3rd person P.O.V. (because referring to yourself, in your head, by your last name is weird), but since we rarely hear the characters thoughts, I felt like we only really identify them by their last names, so I ended up going with that. Sorry, I was on the fence about which I should use.

I've set it a couple of months after the Winter Cup, so Kuroko & co. are second years. Also, I am only referencing the manga, so please ignore any discrepancies with anything else KnB.

* * *

That is not Kuroko's home, Kagami thought. The Seirin regulars, minus Kuroko, were staring at the skyscraper in front of them. The address matched the one on the paper in front of them, but...

Three days earlier Kuroko had missed practice. It had occasionally happened that he would be late, because he had been cleaning up the class or had library duty, but he had never _missed_ practice before. Riko knew that he had perfect attendance entering second year, so when Kagami had told them that Kuroko hadn't been in class, she was doubtful. Ignoring Kagami (as usual) they had started practice, expecting Kuroko to pop out of nowhere. Riko had been planning on putting him in a Boston crab hold when she found him. Once it became obvious that he truly was not coming, Riko had sent him a text. Not having received a reply by the end of practice, she had become concerned.

The second day of Kuroko's absence passed much like the first. Not wanting to get in trouble for not spotting Kuroko, Kagami had repeatedly checked the seat behind him. Again, no Kuroko. He even tried texting Kuroko, but got no response. No beep behind him scaring the crap out of him. This time, Riko had spent the regulars to look for him in the school while the first and second years had a practice match. Kagami protested the whole time, but helped out. It's not like he had any idea where Kuroko lived. Honestly, he knew very little about Kuroko except for his basketball history.

By the third day, Riko had gotten Kagami to ask their home room teacher about Kuroko, but even their teacher didn't know anything about Kuroko's absence. After persuading (threatening) the student council, they had gotten access to Kuroko's school file and had decided to visit his house after practice. Moved by both curiosity and concern, all of the Seirin regulars had tagged along. They had gotten more and more confused as they found themselves led deeper and deeper into the business district.

"Emperor Enterprises?" Kiyoshi read aloud. Riko stared at the sign, startled.

"Wait a minute..." she said, walking swiftly into the office building. The rest of the team glanced at each other in confusion before following her in.

The interior of the building was... incredible. Is this really an office building? The teens thought in unison. The reception desk was directly facing the doors.. although more than twenty feet away from them. Behind the desk was a waterfall, and it was Izuki who first realized where the water went.

"Look at the floor!" He said in a loud whisper. Everyone glanced down and saw... fish. The floor, they realized, was a giant aquarium.

"Who puts an aquarium in the floor?!" Kagami asked, bewildered and slightly outraged. His family had money, but this was just crazy!

"Rich people," Hyuga replied, watching Riko's determined march to the counter. Familiar with her, Hyuga could easily see that the surroundings made her nervous, but he rather imagined that was the point of an entrance like this. Coming up behind her, they could hear her conversation with the receptionist.

"So Emperor Enterprises is part of the Akashi Corporation?" She confirmed. At the receptionist's nod, Seirin froze, surprised. The address wasn't a mistake then. Why did Kuroko have one of Akashi's father's offices listed as his home address?

"Is Akashi Seijuro in?" Riko asked. The receptionist shook her head.

"Akashi Seijuro-sama rarely comes to the Tokyo branch."

"This is a branch office?" Koganei muttered, looking around.

"Forgive us for disrupting you." Riko bowed, before walking away. The others hastily bowed before following her out.

"Now what?" Furihata asked.

"Um." Kagami said, drawing everyone's attention. "I have Kise's number, we could try him." There was a moment's silence and then...

"Bakagami!" Everyone shouted. Hyuga smacked him in the head.

"Why didn't you tell us that before?" Riko asked, far too sweetly. Kagami sweatdropped. She was far scarier.

"I didn't want to deal with the idiot blond!" Kagami protested. It was obvious by their expressions that they understood the sentiment, but weren't going to let him off the hook.

* * *

"That's a wrap!" The director called out, and for once, Kise couldn't wait to be finished. He took his job seriously, always tried to be polite and professional, and completely loosing it in front of the entire crew was _not_ professional.

"Kise-senpai," his co-worker gushed, clinging to his arm, and leaning forward so he got a good look down her shirt, "I would love some _personal_ advice." Kise was normally patient with women, but she was a very aggressive rising model, and he knew his temper was at its limit.

"Sorry, I'm pretty busy," Kise replied, unlocking his jaw with difficulty. He peeled her off of him (again, with difficulty) and quickly made his was to his change room. All of her innuendos about how much she would like his support had left him raw. Kise didn't work like that. He knew some people in the industry did, but he wasn't interested in being used by a complete stranger, or in using others. Lots of people got close to him for his looks, and he was tired of those shallow relationships. Desperate to hear Kurokocchi's voice, he grabbed his cell. Before he could call Kurokocchi, however, it started ringing.

Kagamicchi? He stared at the ID, puzzled.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Forgive me for calling," a female voice - Aida-san Kise thought - said. "Kuroko-kun hasn't been at school for the last three days," Kise jerked at the words,"and we were wondering if you knew anything. We've tried calling, but he doesn't pick up." Kise hesitated, considering his reply. Just then the door swung open and his manager walked in. Thankful for the excuse, Kise spoke quickly.

"Listen Riko-san, I just finished a photo-shoot and need to talk to my manager. Could I call you in a bit?" That would give him a chance to talk to Akashi-cchi before telling Seirin anything.

"Ah, sure." She sounded surprised by his reply, but there was no helping that. Hanging up, he turned to his manager, wanting to take care of this quickly so he could focus on Kurokocchi.

* * *

Akashi put down the annual report of one of his family's larger subsidiaries and considered what remarks he should make. The company was doing well, but not as well, in his opinion, as it could. He was going to present his review in front of the boards of directors and his father next week. Thinking about his father made him sigh. How could he have adopted his father's thinking to the extent that he hurt his friends? That he hurt Kuroko? He had been in touch with Kuroko since the Winter Cup, and had even travelled to Tokyo a couple of times to patch things up, but he was still unsatisfied. He understood that he couldn't undo the past; that's why people _felt_ regret. If they could go back and make things right, no one would have any regrets. He'd had months to learn how awful regret was, but he had also learned that he was selfish. He felt like if Kuroko was with him, he would be able to avoid making such terrible mistakes ever again, and he wanted Kuroko by his side. Realizing that he had totally lost his concentration, he sighed. His phone rang, and glancing over, he saw that it was from Kise.

"Hello?" He answered with a frown; Kise virtually never called him.

"Kuroko-cchi's missing." Kise didn't bother with greetings, and the strain in his voice drove any thoughts of reprimands out of Akashi's thoughts.

"What exactly happened, Kise?"

"I got a call from Aida-san -" Akashi made a note to give Aida his phone number "and Kuroko hasn't been to school or practice in three days."

 _Three days?_ Akashi wanted to scream, but would never allow himself to loose control like that. "I'll come straight out," he replied instead. "What did you tell Seirin?"

"Nothing. I made up an excuse and hung up. What do you want me to tell them?" Despite Kise's antics, his devotion to Kuroko was sincere, and Akashi took a moment to appreciate that before speaking.

"Meet with them. Keep them busy. Find out what they know. If Kuroko wanted them to know, he would have told them." Akashi could almost feel Kise nod over the phone. "We'll deal with this ourselves."

* * *

I like boobs. Daiki thought to himself. Big boobs. Bouncy boobs. He looked at the image of Horikita Mai. Mai-chan had excellent boobs. Everyone said so. So why was it that all he could think of was a pale chest and slim waist? He sighed, looking up, but the view from the school roof only showed the endless blue sky. The same blue as Tetsu's incredibly soft hair. As his eyes. _I've got it bad._ Daiki admitted to himself. But what was the point of finally coming to terms with the fact that he wanted his best friend more than anyone else in the world? Even if Tetsu had forgiven him, Daiki was nearly certain his friend was straight. And in the slim possibility he wasn't, he had a new light he adored and that idiot model tagging around. He'd be more likely to turn to either of them. What did an dumb ganguro like him have that could compare? Sure he was good at basketball, but he'd screwed _that_ up pretty good. Daiki sighed again. This wasn't like him. He was honestly relieved to hear the door to the roof slam open. Only one person opened the door like that.

"Here you are!" Satuki exclaimed, looking down at him. "Honestly Dai-chan! You're late for practice!" Before he could reply, his phone rang.

"Yo," he answered, not bothering to check caller ID.

"Kuroko's missing," Akashi said, causing Aomine to freeze, then begin swearing. Ignoring the swearing, Akashi continued. "I'm taking the train down, but it will be a few hours before I get there. I need you and Momoi-san to start looking for him." Aomine nodded, not that Akashi could see him. "Kise is keeping Seirin out of the way. I'll be in touch with Midorima and Murasakibara."

"How long has he been gone?" Daiki's tongue stuck to his mouth since his throat was suddenly dry.

"Three days." The answer made him flinch. "Start by checking his apartment, then check with his family. I'll call you as soon as I arrive." Neither of them bothered saying good-bye. Aomine glanced at Momoi, and seeing the tears in her eyes knew that she had heard everything. They fled the roof in silence.

* * *

Midorima ignored Takao's laughter and contemplated what shade of pink nail polish he should buy. Would a brighter pink be luckier than a pale one? Should he weigh the nail polish bottles and buy the largest? Cancer was ranked 10th for luck tomorrow, and he needed to be prepared. As he considered asking the sales clerk if they had a scale he could use, his phone rang. Honestly, not many people called him, and he was surprised to see that it was Akashi.

"Akashi?"

"Kuroko's-"

"I'm not alone," Midorima cut Akashi off, possibly for the first time ever. Akashi's voice was too serious though, Midorima didn't want to carelessly reveal anything that Kuroko wasn't comfortable with people knowing.

"Get somewhere you can talk." Even returned to himself, Akashi was imperious. Midorima glanced apologetically at Takao, but moved away.

"Alright."

"Kuroko has been missing for three days according to Aida-san." Midorima closed his eyes. _Let him be alright,_ he begged silently. _Let him be alright._ "I've tried calling, and haven't gotten any response." Since no one ignored a call from Akashi, it was safe to assume that Kuroko either didn't have his phone or hadn't been able to get to it.

"What are we doing?"

"I'm on my way down, but I need you to start checking his usual hiding spots. Aomine and Momoi-san are checking his apartment and family home, while Kise keeps Seirin out of our way. I'm calling Murasakibara next."

"Understood." They ended the call there, and Midorima walked back to Takao. "Sorry," he said.

"I won't repeat anything if you don't want me to," Takao said seriously. He was clearly hurt by the perceived lack of trust, and Midorima frowned at him, struggling for words.

"There are somethings that aren't mine to tell," he finally said quietly. "I'm sorry." Midorima knew that he was right to draw the line, but left the store burdened with guilt and worry.

* * *

Murasakibara stared at the... thing in front of him. "That doesn't look yummy, Muro-chin," he complained, but Himuro simply smiled.

"It's not cooked yet."

"This is taking too long. Why can't I just buy my snacks Muro-chin?" Murasakibara whined, not sure why he hadn't simply left when Muro-chin had decided that he needed to cook his own snacks. Before Himuro could reply, Murasakibara's phone rang.

"Aka-chin?" He answered.

"I need you to head to Tokyo." Himuro jolted, but Murasakibara just nodded.

"Okay."

"I have a plane ticket waiting for you."

"Okay." Murasakibara hung up with Akashi. "I have to go Muro-chin," he said. Himuro stared at him.

"You're going to Tokyo? Just like that?"

"Mmm," Murasakibara agreed.

"Because Akashi told you to?" At Murasakibara's nod, Himuro continued, "I thought that Akashi had changed."

"Aka-chin changed," he agreed, "but Aka-chin is still Aka-chin." Himuro sighed.

"I'll come with you to Tokyo."

"Did Aka-chin get you a plane ticket too?" Murasakibara asked, curious.

"...I'll take the train," Himuro replied, evading the question. If Akashi was flying Murasakibara to Tokyo, something serious was going on, and it just might involve Taiga's new partner, Kuroko.

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the support! This is my first KnB fanfic, so I wasn't sure how it would be received. To everyone who has reviewed, favourited, and followed, a very sincere thank you! I hadn't honestly expected so much support. I'll try to keep updates coming as long as you guys keep reading.

* * *

Kise had called Kagamicchi back after speaking to Akashicchi and, finding out that they were currently in front of Emperor Enterprises, immediately suggested meeting Seirin at Maji Burger. Kise hadn't, in fact, been far from Emperor Enterprises himself, but he knew that traveling all the way back to Maji Burger would delay Seirin, and every delay gave Akashicchi and the others a better chance of discreetly finding Kurokocchi. Letting Seirin know about Kurokocchi's private life when he hadn't told them himself would feel too much like failing Kurokocchi, and that was the last thing Kise wanted to do.

"Over here!" Kise called out, waving vigorously, just in case they hadn't seen him behind his fans. Being an idol meant that he was visible everywhere he went, so Kise was in the midst of signing autographs when the Seirin team came in. "I'm sorry, ladies," he said, smiling professionally, "my friends have come to meet me, would you mind if I visit with them?" He saw the calculation in their eyes as the girls glanced at the group. Seeing that there was only one girl, they threw a few vicious glances at Riko-san, but agreed to leave. Kise kept his cynicism firmly hidden under a professional smile. "Thanks for the support, ladies!" He waved good bye, then turned to Seirin.

"What's going on, Kise-kun?" Riko-san asked, walking up. _Well, wasn't that to the point?_ Kise thought.

"Eh? Aren't you happy to see me?" He made pleading eyes to the group, but seeing them look entirely unmoved, he changed tactics. "I was going to treat you all to some food!" As expected, Kagamicchi perked up at this.

"I'm a bit hungry," he said. "I could use a light snack." Kise argued about everyone's selections, deliberately made mistakes with the orders, and generally drew out the whole ordeal as long as he could. More than half an hour (and 25,000 yen later), they were all sitting at the booth. Kise glanced at Kagamicchi's stack of burgers. He hadn't realized that anyone other than Aominecchi considered a dozen burgers to be a light snack.

"So?" Riko-san asked, clearly undeterred. "Where's Kuroko-kun?"

"Aha," Kise replied, scratching his head nervously, "maybe you could tell me what has happened, first?"

Riko-san pursed her lips, glancing at Hyuga. _Were they an item?_ Kise wondered. Well, it wasn't any of his business. Kise listened attentively as Riko-san spilled with the story, then spent the next half hour asking every question he could think of the keep them busy, hoping that someone would find Kurokocchi soon. He realized they must all consider him _completely_ stupid, but this was for Kurokocchi, so he hung in there.

"Kise-kun," Riko-san interrupted. "Why is the Tokyo branch of Emperor Enterprises listed at the school as Kuroko-kun's home address?" Kise opened his mouth, but she continued. "We already know that it is part of the Akashi Corporation." Kise grimaced. Now what should he say? _Akashicchi, help me!_

* * *

Momoi spoke briefly to the concierge, and was unsurprised to find out that Akashi had already contacted him. Under Akashi's orders, he had always watched out for Kuroko, but he admitted that while it was becoming pretty rare, there were still days that he wasn't able to spot the phantom. He hadn't seen Kuroko since the morning four days ago, but couldn't guarantee that Kuroko hadn't slipped past him after that. Speaking about his phone call with Akashi, the concierge looked pale. Well, Akashi had that effect on people even over the phone.

Aomine and Momoi headed up to Kuroko's condo on the sixth floor. " _Damn_ , this is nice," Aomine murmured, looking around. His feet sank soundlessly into the plush runner with every step he took. "Maybe I should get Akashi to buy me a condo, too," he continued.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi exclaimed, outraged.

"Joking!" Aomine said, raising his hands defensively. "It's a joke Satsuki! Akashi wouldn't buy a condo for anyone but Tetsu anyway!"

"This no time for jokes! Tetsu-kun is missing!" She replied, and Aomine saw her eyes fill with tears, before she turned away.

"Sorry," Aomine muttered as he pulled out his keys and flipped through them until he found Tetsu's. He'd never used it before, but all of the Generation of Miracles and Momoi had a copy in case of emergencies. _Please don't let this be an emergency,_ Aomine thought as the door clicked open. _Let this be a simple misunderstanding._ He didn't want to find anything tragic inside.

"Let me go in first," he said, glancing at Momoi. When she nodded her understanding, he entered quietly; making sure each room was empty before moving to the next. "Clear!" He called out, once he was certain that there was no one in the apartment. Momoi entered, switching on all the lights as she went.

She took her time going through the rooms, looking for any clues as to where her beloved Tetsu-kun might be this time. Aomine stayed out of her way, knowing that she saw a lot more in the room than he did. He saw a few dishes piled up in the sink, and a carton of eggs in the fridge. Momoi spent a lot of time in the kitchen, going through the fridge (how much could you really learn from one carton of eggs, even if you were Satsuki?), and looking at the dishes in the sink. "Dai-chan," she finally said, once again forgetting to call him Aomine-kun, "The concierge was right; Tetsu-kun never made it home from school four days ago."

"Ok, seriously Satsuki, how do you know that? Women's intuition?" There was no way that a pile of dishes could tell her that.

"There's only one egg left," she replied glaring at him. Seeing more tears in her eyes Aomine felt like a real ass, but he _hated_ being helpless when Tetsu might be in danger, and Momoi was so much better at this stuff then he was. He wanted just someone to beat up. Point him in the right direction and he'd take care of it. "Tetsu-kun likes to settle down and read once he finishes his homework, so he would pick up eggs on his way home from school."

"Because he only eats eggs?"

"The only thing Tetsu-kun can cook are boiled eggs," Satsuki explained with forced patience. Aomine kept his mouth shut on the words: _it's better than anything you can cook, Satsuki._ He could do this. "So he'll be eating that for all is meals, every day. He would need one egg for supper, and one for breakfast."

"How can one egg fill anyone up?" Aomine asked rhetorically.

Momoi didn't bother answering. Instead, she continued to prowl around, but there wasn't much to see. Even now, Tetsu didn't own much. In his bedroom he had some library books, a basketball on the floor, and a few photos and some homework on his desk. The furniture was all top quality; Akashi must have chosen it, and cornered Tetsu into accepting it. Tetsu was far too frugal for his own good. Normally they would have been careful about invading Tetsu's space, but they were desperate. Once they found him they would apologize. Aomine would get down on his goddamn _knees_ and apologize as long as Tetsu was ok.

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "There's incomplete homework due three days ago in his room, but that just confirms what we already knew."

"I'll text Akashi," Aomine said. Because as much as Aomine hated to admit it, if anyone would know what to do, it would be him.

* * *

Midorima had started by searching all of the local libraries, hoping that Kuroko was simply hiding in one of them. He went to every forgotten corner, walked down every isle, but found nothing. No Kuroko calmly reading. No one to suddenly scare him by popping out of nowhere. Considering three days had passed, it was a slim hope. Facing yet another empty corner, Midorima wondered, _where are you, Kuroko?_

His phone rang loudly in the silence. Midorima cringed, embarrassed that he had forgotten to turn down the volume, but ignored the pointed glare the librarian was giving him, and answered it. Oha Asa was right, as usual. His phone was his lucky item today; he'd feel awful if Akashi hadn't been able to contact him about Kuroko's disappearance.

"Aomine?" He asked, hoping that Aomine had news.

"Satsuki says that Tetsu never made it home from school four days ago," Aomine said, and Midorima's stomach sank. "We're heading to Tetsu's parents place, but Satsuki thinks we might need another person, just in case..." There was a pause as Aomine hesitated. "Just in case," he finished.

"Send me the address," Midorima replied. Midorima was already heading out the doors when the text came in. He'd never been to Kuroko's parents place, so he took a moment to pull up a map. Having quickly memorized the map, he began to run. The last thing they needed was for that idiot to go in on his own because he couldn't wait for Midorima. Not that he was worried about Aomine. It would just make things harder. That's all.

It took him nearly ten minutes to reach the entirely nondescript house where Kuroko's parents lived. As expected, Aomine was pacing restlessly outside.

"Finally!" He exclaimed, seeing Midorima. Midorima pushed his glasses back, feeling a little miffed by the reaction, but he hadn't expected any better from Aomine anyway.

"Thanks for coming," Momoi-san said instead. Midorima nodded to her as they followed Aomine to the door. Aomine didn't ring the bell, so much as hold it down and wait. With that annoying ring persisting, it didn't take long for a woman to come to the door.

"Hello?" She asked, sounding only very mildly irritated, and glancing between them with a smile. This was the first time Midorima was seeing her, and he was surprised by how... normal she looked. Except for the sky blue hair falling to her waist, she looked like an ordinary housewife. If Midorima didn't know better, he would have believed in the warmth of that smile.

"We're Kuroko-kun's friends from high school," Momoi-san said, stepping forward and smiling brightly, blithely ignoring the way the woman froze. Aomine was staring at Momoi-san as if she had finally gone crazy. Midorima trusted Momoi enough to follow her lead. "We wanted to drop off his homework since he hasn't been at school for the last few days."

"...How did you get this address?" The woman - Midorima couldn't let himself think of her as Kuroko's mother - asked carefully.

"The teacher asked us to drop off his homework, so he gave it to us." Momoi-san lied smoothly. Midorima promised himself never give Momoi-san cause to lie to him, because he'd never be able to tell if she did. Glancing between the two females, Midorima almost shivered. _Women are scary,_ he thought. The woman looked like she wanted to call Momoi-san on the lie, but didn't want to risk revealing anything they didn't already know.

"I can pass it along," she replied instead. Momoi-san looked instantly crestfallen.

"I was hoping to see Kuroko-kun," she said, glancing down. Her acting could give Kise a run for his money. "We might be able to cheer him up since he's sick."

"He's not sick." The reply drew the undivided attention of all three teens. Apparently realizing that, the woman continued. "There's been a family emergency, and he had to go out of town for a few days. He should be home any time now."

"We understand," Momoi-san said. "Tell him to call us when he gets in. We'll bring the homework and visit then. Nice to meet you." Momoi-san continued smiling while she bowed slightly, before turning away. Midorima figured he would injure his back if tried bowing while he was this tense, so he nodded to the woman and followed after Momoi-san. Aomine made no effort to acknowledge the woman at all.

"She's not what I expected," Midorima commented once they were a block or so away.

"Tch," Aomine grunted. "No one would believe it, would they? She looks so harmless."

"Well," Momoi-san said, "at least we know he's not there." Midorima nodded. That, at least, was good news.

"We do?" Aomine asked, puzzled. Midorima sighed.

"She said that he wasn't in, but would be in soon," he answered.

"But she's a liar!" Aomine protested. "Why should we believe anything she says?!"

"Because she couldn't resist boasting," Midorima replied, frustrated. "Kuroko isn't there now, but they expect him to be soon. They think they know where he is, roughly."

"I bet that his father is out looking for him now," Momoi-san added. "There was only one pair of shoes at the entrance."

"We won't let them have Tetsu," Aomine spoke, almost trembling with rage. "We'll never let them have Tetsu." Momoi-san nodded.

"Obviously." Midorima confirmed.

* * *

Between his connections and his money, there was very little Akashi couldn't find out, especially when he was determined. During the train ride, Akashi diligently made calls, taking notes to piece together what had happened this time. By the time he got off the train in Tokyo, he had gotten all of the Tokyo libraries check and see if Kuroko had checked out any books, questioned Kuroko's neighbours, confirmed that no one matching Kuroko's description had been admitted to any of the Tokyo hospitals, spoken to Seirin's principle and the concierge at Kurkok's apartment, and asked discreet questions of the local police. Not bad for three hours work, but by the time he got to Tokyo he had very little to show for it.

It was dark when he left the train station, and that did nothing to brighten Akashi's mood. Now the search would need to take place in the dark. How do you find a shadow in the dark? Not that Kuroko was much of a shadow any more, but... Was this his fault? Akashi wondered, struggling with yet _more_ guilt. If he had warned Kuroko about the danger of learning to dribble and shoot, would Kuroko still be safely at Seirin? Did Kuroko's flashy plays draw dangerous attention to him? Akashi forced the thoughts from his head. He needed to focus for now on finding out where everyone was, and what they were doing. Before he could call Aomine though, another call came through.

"Akashi-sama," the caller greeted. _Finally,_ Akashi thought.

"What have you discovered?"

"The GPS's last location was on the west side of Millennium Park," the caller answered. "The signal was cut off 75 hours, 26 minutes ago."

"Why was I not notified when the signal was cut off?" Akashi's voice was perfectly calm.

"Ah. Akashi-sama... We, uh..." At least the caller was smart enough to understand that was an _extremely_ bad sign.

"I believe I made it clear that the person carrying this GPS was at risk, and I was to be notified in the event of any unusual movements, or if the GPS failed," Akashi continued.

"Yes, sir," the man replied nervously.

"We will discuss this matter later," Akashi promised ominously.

"Yes, sir." Akashi hung up, not bothering with any further greetings. First the concierge, then this? Perhaps he needed to re-evaluate his staff. _Once we find Kuroko_ , he promised himself. He called Aomine, heading to Millennium Park.

* * *

"Ne, Aka-chin?" Murasakibara said, "I'm here."

* * *

I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! Again, thank you for the support!


	3. Chapter 3

Again, I wanted to thank you for the kind reviews, follows, and favourites. I've tried to get this chapter out to you quickly, and I know I wouldn't be trying so hard if you weren't so supportive, so thank you again for that. I am, again, nervous about this chapter living up to your expectations, so I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

When the taxi dropped Murasakibara off at the west entrance to Millenium Park, Midorima, Aomine, and Momoi were already waiting. Aomine was restlessly pacing around, too anxious to sit still. Then again, that idiot was never very good at staying still unless he was napping, or... _reading_. Momoi-san was checking her cell phone (assumedly searching for information that could help them), and Midorima was forcing himself not to fidget.

"Murasakibara," Midorima acknowledged.

"Muk-kun," Momoi-san greeted politely, though lacking her usual vibrancy.

"Hi everyone," Murasakibara said mildly. Midorima felt a pang of envy for Murasakibara's endless faith in Akashi. No doubt the giant trusted Akashi to simply _fix_ things. They all valued Kuroko, but unlike the others, Murasakibara clearly wasn't very worried. Not that Midorima would admit to being worried, but... "Where's Ki-chin?" Murasakibara asked, glancing around.

"He's keeping Seirin busy," Momoi-san replied. "They don't know about Tetsu-kun's situation, so we want them out of the way where they can't learn anything that would embarrass Tetsu-kun."

"He called us here, and he's late!" Aomine interrupted, throwing his hands in the air, and barely glancing at Murasakibara. "Again!"

"Honestly," Midorima began to reprimand Aomine, but Akashi arrived before he could say anything more.

"The last known location of Kuroko's GPS was around here," Akashi informed them, not bothering with anything more than a nod to greet his former teammates.

"Why did that take so long to find out?" Aomine asked.

"...I'l be having a discussion with the staff about that as soon as we have found Kuroko." Aka-chin's voice was so calm that Midorima knew things would be bad for the staff, but he didn't know them, and they weren't his problem. Right now, his only focus was on finding Kuroko. Everything else could wait.

"When did they last get a signal?" Momoi-san wanted to know.

"76 hours, 3 minutes ago." Akashi didn't bother to check his phone as he replied.

"What?!" Aomine shouted. "They lost the signal _days_ ago and they didn't contact you?! What the hell is the point of having Tetsu carry it in the first place?!"

"As I said, Aomine, I'll be having words with them about their failure." Everyone froze for a moment. Even if Akashi had changed back after Kuroko defeated him, no one ever wanted to hear _that_ particular tone from Akashi directed at them. "I bought flashlights. Assume that Kuroko does not want to be found, and search carefully. Given how long he has been missing, it is also possible that he is not able to call for help due to an injury or other difficulty. Keep an eye out in case his father is also searching the area. We'll split up. Momoi-san, stay with Aomine, and head north. Midorima, head south. Murasakibara, head east. I'll search the roads nearby. Call if you find anything. That's all."

* * *

Once everyone had gone their separate ways, Akashi used his Emperor Eye to search the roads for clues as to what Kuroko had been doing here. He hadn't wanted the others to know that he was doing this, although if Midorima thought about it, he would probably realize what Akashi intended.

People are creatures of habit, and Akashi had made a point of remaining aware of Kuroko's habits. On school days, Kuroko wakes, brushes his teeth for an average of two minutes and twelve seconds, boils his egg for twelve minutes _exactly_ while he tames his magnificent bed head and dresses for school, then finally sits down to eat. From start to finish, it takes an average of twenty-one minutes for Kuroko to get ready in the morning. The walk from his door to Seirin's gates is a sixteen minute walk at Kuroko's normal walking pace.

Akashi also knows that Seirin's basketball club is not taking it easy after winning the Winter Cup. They are adapting to having fifteen freshmen on the team (being the Winter Cup champions has drawn a lot of attention to them), and since Kuroko has been spending a lot of him time coaching the first years during the club practices after school, he has been practicing alone in the mornings.

Kuroko was last seen on Monday, and he would have had library committee duties before practice. Kise had been with Seirin for hours now, and had not texted Akashi about any changes in Kuroko's behaviour, which means that if anything was bothering Kuroko, it was not obvious to his teammates. Kuroko would have showered before leaving (six minutes, thirty seconds), and since he preferred to shower in privacy, he would have waited for his teammates to leave before entering. Since the school was not designed for a large team, there would be a delay of at least thirty minutes while the others took turns. If Kuroko and Kagami had met at Maji Burger that afternoon, Kise would have found out about it, so Akashi could dismiss that possibility.

From what Momoi-san had said, Kuroko was most likely on his way to buy a carton of eggs from the grocery store closest to his apartment (so he didn't need to carry them as far, although a good sale could have taken him further) when he encountered trouble. The most probable situation would be that his father, or someone associated with him, was waiting for him at the school gates. They may have tried following Kuroko to find out where he now lived, and once Kuroko realized that, he would have tried to lead them away from his home... by loosing them in the park. The park would have provided plenty of hiding spots for a phantom like Kuroko even during the day, so what went wrong? Kuroko had most likely dropped his phone in his panic, and if it had ended up on the road...

It took only moments with his Emperor Eye for Akashi to locate what was left of the baby blue phone he had bought Kuroko nearly three years prior. Crushed by the cars, it served only as confirmation that their treasured bluenette had, in fact, passed by.

* * *

Kise was ready to pull out his hair. The reason was that Himuro Tatsuya had just waltzed into Maji Burger and dropped a bomb.

"Hi, Taiga," he greeted. "Where's Atsushi?"

"Atsushi?" Kagamicchi replied, puzzled. "You mean Murasakibara? Why would he be here? Why are _you_ here?"

"I just texted to ask where you were, and you didn't realized I was in town?" Himuro's smile was sharp.

"Ah, well, we've been trying to figure out what's going on with Kuroko and..." Kargamicchi's smile was both sheepish and slightly worried.

"As I thought," Kise's gut clenched anticipating the next words, "something happened to your partner."

"What do you mean, 'as I thought?'" Hyuga asked, eyeing the newcomer dubiously.

"Ah?" Himuro looked at Kise. "Since Akashi just _urgently_ flew Atsushi to Tokyo -" the Seirin team tensed at the revelation, "I took the train and followed. I thought that something serious must have happened." Glancing around, he added, "I also assumed you would be with Atsushi and the others." Watching him, Kise couldn't say if Himuro had actually believed that, or if he had simply wanted to put Kise in an uncomfortable position. If it was the latter, it worked. There was a slight disruption as Himuro took a seat next to Kargamicchi, but unfortunately, not enough to draw the weight of Seirin's stares away from Kise.

"What is exactly is going on, Kise-kun?" Riko-san asked, smiling sweetly. Kise didn't know her personally, but he had enough experience in modelling not to trust _that_ smile.

"Aha," Kise said, rubbing the back of his neck, "do you think we could just ignore that?"

"No," Hyuga answered seriously. "We're missing a teammate and you're hiding something from us. Tell us what's going on."

Kise understood why he had been selected to deal with Seirin; they didn't know that all of the Generation of Miracles were on the move, and so no one had to explain why they were involved. They could discreetly take care of things, then come up with a story for Seirin. At least, that had been the plan until Himuro had strolled in.

"Look," Kise said with a sigh, "can you just leave Kurokocchi to us? We'll deal with this."

"You seem to know where Kuroko is." Kagami accused. Kise shook his head.

"I don't," Kise denied honestly, "but I expect they'll find him soon."

"'They' being the Generation of Miracles?" Himuro asked.

"Yes." Kise fought not to squirm.

"Are you saying that Akashi has come to Tokyo from Kyoto, and Murasakibara has flown in from Akita to look for Kuroko?" Hyuga sounded incredulous. Kise didn't have the chance to reply - not that he knew what he was going to say - before someone else spoke up.

"He's our player, now," one of the team - Izuki, Kise thought his name was - said. "We should be the ones looking for him." Now _that_ irritated Kise.

"You don't understand anything," Kise replied. And if Kise's voice was quiet, the anger in it was still obvious. "We might be one different teams now, but we'll always be important to each other. We know Kuroko's -" and there he stopped because he would _not_ be the one to reveal Kuroko's secrets. Kise could almost hear the wheels turning in the minds of the team, and quietly cursed himself.

"Important to you?" Kargamicchi missed the slip up, sounding outraged by Kise's other comments. "What gives you the right to say that after throwing him away?!"

""You've got it wrong, Kagami," Kise's voice was low and intense. In his seriousness, he dropped the 'cchi' from everyone's names. "We might have become arrogant, but it was Kuroko who threw _us_ away." Kise talked over Kagami's protest. "Teiko had over one hundred players, but even when we weren't passing, even at our worst, the _only_ other player we were willing to have on the court with us was Kuroko. You could have offered us any player, from any school, and we would have made the same choice." Kagami sat back, doubtful. "Kuroko quit the team because he was angry with us, but our bonds are stronger than our fights." Kise forced himself to take a deep breath and smile. "Getting dumped by Kurokocchi really sucks, you know?"

"So you're saying you guys are all buddy-buddy now?" Kagamicchi's skepticism hurt, the way comments you know you deserve tend to.

Instead facing that wound, Kise switched tactics. "We want to help protect Kurokocchi in any way we can. He's a private person, so if we can protect his pride and his secrets, that's what we want to do."

"But if Kuroko's in trouble, we want to help." Kagamicchi argued.

"Look, we already know what's going on, so there's nothing to be lost by having us deal with," Kise held his position.

"If all of the Generation of Miracles are out looking for Kuroko," Kise had a suspicion he was never going to be able to get along with the canny Himuro, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm preventing Seirin from finding out things that Kuroko wants to keep secret, when ALL I WANT IS TO BE OUT LOOKING FOR HIM!" Alright, there was really no way Kise was going to be able to keep his temper all day, on a day like today. Everyone looked shocked at his outburst. He was a little shocked himself; it wasn't like him. But it was true that he was desperate to be out searching for Kurokocchi. Kise idly hoped that no one had caught that on video or it would be viral in minutes. _Maybe I should have chosen a more discreet meeting place,_ he sighed.

"Did Kuroko tell you guys about himself?" Kise stared at Himuro and gave up any hope of truly getting along with him in the future.

"No."

"Then?" A raised eyebrow accentuated the question.

"When Akashicchi and Momoicchi are together on a team, they don't miss anything. There was this one time I had a hangnail-" Sadly, no one seemed interested in Kise's story, and Himuro continued questioning him.

"So you simply worked it out without Kuroko's consent and now you're preventing others from finding out themselves? Sounds a little hypocritical." Kise hadn't been great at dealing with Seirin, but Himuro was a particularly bad matchup for him.

"Look, people don't go around talking about things they find too embarrassing or painful, right? Kurokocchi hasn't told you guys about himself, and if you value him so much, you should respect that." Seirin was quiet as they considered that.

"We understand, Kise-kun," It was Riko-san who broke the silence. "You can go look for Kuroko-kun. We'll trust our phantom to you guys."

"Coach!" Kagamicchi's protest was instantaneous. Kise looked at Riko-san then chose to trust that she would keep the rest of the team from investigating.

"Thank you very much!" Kise bowed deeply before racing for the door. _Kurokocchi!_

* * *

"What were you looking at on your phone earlier?" Aomine questioned, when Momoi asked him to slow down again.

"I was checking to see if any of the local grocery stores had a sale on eggs three days ago."

"You're still on about the eggs?"

"Even Akashi-kun doesn't have much information! We need to follow all of the leads we have!" Momoi defended, and then paused as movement caught her eye in the bushes. "What are they..." Momoi's voice trailed away as she realized what they were doing.

"Get a room!" Aomine called out, startling the couple. Not that outdoor sex sounded altogether bad, but...

"Dai-chan!" Satsuki scolded, and even in the dark Aomine could tell that her face was flaming.

"Is that your thing, Satsuki? I've never asked Tesu what really turns him on-" And in his own mind, Aomine could admit that he wouldn't mind finding out. Did he think of someone when he touched himself? Was he vanilla? Or did he like cuffs? Would he ever try it in the shower? What was Tetsu's kink? _Not the time,_ Aomine told himself.

"Dani-chan!" Satsuki's voice took on a shaky quality, and Aomine sighed. He had pushed her too far, again.

"Sorry."

"I think it's a record," she replied, with obviously forced cheer, "Dai-chan has apologized to me twice today."

"Don't get used to it." Whatever response Momoi had died on her lips as she spotted two men.

"That's Tetsu-kun's father," she whispered, pointing them out. Aomine tensed. He wanted to pound that asshole into the _ground_. "He's got someone with him."

"Shit." Aomine stared at them, wanting an excuse to start the fight.

"Let's follow them," Momoi suggested quietly. "If they're responsible for Tetsu-kun's disappearance, we can at least learn where they last saw him. I'll text Akashi and let him know."

They carefully snuck up behind the men, and listened to the conversation.

"I need to be heading home to my wife, Kuroko," the stranger said. Kuroko's father nodded.

"Of course, I understand Sawada-san." Kuroko's father _dripped_ with understanding. "I apologize for this inconvenience. We'll have found him by tomorrow. Let me walk you to the train station." Sharing a glance, Aomine and Momoi eased back. Once the men had left they both sighed.

"Well, at least we've confirmed that Tetsu-kun's father is looking for him. Since he was looking here, we should assume that they chased Tesu-kun into the park before loosing him."

"But why do they think he's still here?" Aomine asked. Satsuki stared at him.

"I have no idea."

* * *

In the end, Murasakibara tripped over Kuroko. "Aka-chin!" He called out, then realized that Akashi wouldn't have heard that from the road. Grabbing his cell, he continued, "I found Kuro-chin!"

"Where?" Akashi's voice was steady.

"Ah..." Murasakibara looked around. "I just passed some benches."

"Don't worry about the time," Akashi directed, "just shout and wave your flashlight around. We'll find you."

"I found Kuro-chin!" His words brought everyone running, as Akashi had said they would.

"Tetsu!" Aomine sprinted ahead of Momoi and reached them first.

"Kurokocchi!" _When did Ki-chin arrive?_ Murasakibara wondered.

"Kuroko!"

"Tetsu-kun!"

"Kuroko!" Akashi had the furthest to travel, but was only moments behind the others. "I need light," he commanded, kneeling down beside Kuroko. Everyone shone their flashlights at the motionless figure on the ground, except for Midorima who was kneeling on Kuroko's other side.

"He's fainted," Midorima announced. "I'm fairly certain it's dehydration, but why..."

"Look at his foot," Akashi said. Everyone did. Murasakibara didn't know anything about medicine, unlike Akashi and Midorima, but even he knew that much bruising was bad. Kuro-chin wouldn't have been able to walk on that, and with so little presence, no one would have noticed him to help. "It may be fractured," Akashi continued. "Pick him up, Murasakibara. Dehydration can be severe. We need to get him to a hospital, now." Murasakibara did as he was told, easily cradling Kuroko in his arms.

"He's so tiny," Murasakibara commented, as they jogged out of the park.


	4. Chapter 4

This is a light transition chapter, which came together pretty quickly. I hope you all enjoy it regardless. I've been really moved by everyone's support. There's not so much nice in the world that we can afford to take the kindness offered to us forgotten, so please understand that your support is profoundly motivating to me, and very appreciated. I'm nervous every time I post a new chapter, so I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

* * *

It was noisy, Kuroko thought, annoyed. People were murmuring, and... what was that beeping? It was too bright, too. Kuroko scrunched his eyes, and tried to reach for his blanket, but something was attached to his arm. Both of his arms, he realized, twitching slightly.

"I think he's waking up!" Kise? Kuroko was bemused. Why was Kise here?

"Shut up!" Aomine? "The doctor said not to disturb him!" Disturb who?

"Kuroko," Unlike the other two, Akashi gentled his voice, and spoke to him directly. "Are you up for talking to us a little?" Was he? Why did Akashi-kun think he might not be? What was that really annoying beeping? Wanting answers, Kuroko forced his strangely heavy eyelids open. Was opening his eyes always that hard?

Hospital. The noise, the light, the smell. The answer to where he was was the hospital. Why? Looking around the room, he saw all of his old friends. Momoi sat in a chair on the right side of his bed, sadly hugging herself. Aomine and Kise were standing on either side of her, and all three looked haggard. Aomine and Momoi were both in their uniforms, but they were wrinkled and unkept. Even though Aomine wasn't a tidy person, his parents would _never_ have allowed him out of the house looking like that, and Momoi was careful about her uniform. Kise was dressed casually, but the bags under his eyes ruined his usual good looks. Murasakibara and Midorima were standing at the foot of the bed Looking down at him. Murasakibara holding an opened box of pocky in his hand seemed weird, and Midorima had what appeared to be bright pink nail polish in one hand, and a tea cup in the other. Were they both his lucky item? What was going on? Akashi's presence on his left was, as always, powerful. Looking at all of them, they seemed drawn and tired. Even Momoi's flamboyant pink hair seemed lifeless.

"Aka-" He tried to force the words out, but his mouth was so dry. Why was it so dry?

"Don't panic," Akashi-kun said quickly, moving forward to hold Kuroko's hand. "I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen." Kuroko nodded slightly, glancing down at at IVs in each of his arms. "We found you 21 hours ago-" If Kuroko were someone who gaped, he would have been gaping at Akashi. Whatever Akashi-kun saw on his face was enough to bring a wry smile to his lips. "You were in Millenium Park." Ah, Kuroko began to remember, but it was fuzzy. "You fractured your leg while fleeing from your father." His leg? Kuroko glanced down, and sure enough there was a cast encasing it. He didn't feel anything, though. Kuroko looked back at Akashi-kun, putting his questions into his eyes. "You were in the park for three days before we found you," Akashi answered. "You were very seriously were admitted in serious, but not life-threatening, condition."

"We were so worried, Kuroko!" Kise must have been, if he was actually using his name. Kuroko fought to think clearly. "Your heart beat was weird and-"

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Tetsu." Kuroko had never heard Aomine sound that drained. Had his condition really been that bad?

"Yes," Akashi answered, earning another glance from Kuroko. He hadn't precisely forgotten what it was like to be with someone who could read his every thought, but it had been a while since it had happened.

"Tetsu-kun." It was Momoi's watery smile that was the hardest to take.

"Don't be like that, Satsuki!" Aomine reprimanded. "The doctor said he'll be fine."

"I know, but..."

"Do you want a milkshake, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked. Kuroko felt his eyes widen. A milkshake sounded...

"No," Akashi answered. "He can have a sports drink, instead." Kuroko turned, to Akashi, incredulous. Seeing that he was entirely serious, Kuoko put on his best pout. Akashi just smiled. "When you are released from the hospital, I will buy you a milkshake."

"But sports drinks aren't yummy," Murasakibara protested. Kuroko sent him an approving glance. Akashi continued smiling, unaffected.

"Even so." Kuroko gave Akashi a stink eye. "Won't work," Akashi's eyes were laughing at him.

"Well if Aka-chin says so," Murasakibara came up, and ruffled Kuroko's hair. Kuroko frowned, but didn't have the energy to make a fuss about it. Murasakibara left humming, satisfied to have an errand to do for Kuroko.

"I don't know why you're upset when he pets your hair,"Aomine said, chuckling. "It's not like anything he does can make that bed head of your worse." _You're just jealous_ , Kuroko wanted to say, but his throat was still too dry to get the words out.

"He's not jealous," Akashi assured Kuroko.

"We watched you sleep, Kurokocchi," Kise said smiling, as if that wasn't a mildly disturbing thing to do. "You didn't move at all, but your hair!" And just like that, the tension in the room finally broke into laughter. It was good to hear. It had been a long time since he had heard them laugh like that. Kuroko smiled at them, happy, despite the circumstances, to be together again.

"I've got a comb," Momoi said, rousing, and pulling one out of her bag. She tackled his hair with almost frightening determination.

"Oi! Satsuki!" Aomine protested, pulling her off Kuroko. "Let him rest!"

"Actually, Momoi," Akashi intervened, "We need to discuss what we will do now before things go any further." Akashi instantly held the undivided attention of everyone in the room.

"What do you mean, what we will do?" Midorima asked, speaking up for the first time since Kuroko had woken.

"Shouldn't we wait for Murasakibaracchi to return?" Kise questioned simultaneously.

"I'll speak to Murasakibara later," Akashi assured Kise, but didn't directly answer Midorima's question. "Kuroko, do you remember what happened on Monday?" Kuroko searched his memory, and, miraculously, everyone stayed quiet while he thought. Tentatively, he nodded. "I will tell you what I think happened. Shake your head if I make any mistakes." This would have sounded like the beginning of a long yes-no game had anyone other than Akashi suggested it, but it was impossible to have that concern with Akashi. "I will begin when you left school after practice." Kuroko motioned for him to continue. "You left, and realized fairly quickly that you were being followed." Kuroko nodded, hoping his voice came back soon. Choosing not to speak was very different from not being able to speak; even with Akashi in the room, it was frustrating. "I assume that your father and another man - Sawada-san, by name -" Kuroko felt his eyes widen. He had no idea what the stranger's name was.

"Satsuki and I saw your _father_ -" Aomine spat the word out, like he was trying to rid himself of a foul taste in his mouth, "and a man he identified as Sawada-san looking for you in Millenium Park yesterday."

"Thankfully, they left before Muk-kun found you," Momoi added. Kuroko couldn't quite suppress a shiver at the near miss. Unfortunately, every person in the room noticed his fear. _I will protect you_ , they thought, for once, entirely united in purpose.

"They were most likely watching the school gates from a distance, waiting for you." Akashi hesitated, then seemed to decide against whatever he was going to say. "Once you realized that you were being followed, you headed to the park, because there weren't enough people on the streets to loose yourself in a crowd. You pulled out your phone to call for help-" everyone except Kuroko seemed to hone in on those words, "but dropped it in your flight." Kuroko nodded again, unsurprised that he didn't need to correct anything Akashi had said so far.

"Who were you-" Aomine began to ask, then seemed to decide against finishing the question. Akashi glanced at him, but didn't comment.

"After you fractured your leg, it's obvious that you couldn't get help." Akashi continued as though there had been no interruption. "At best you could have taken a few steps to hide before you collapsed. You are attracting more notice now, but you had hidden behind the bushes before you fainted, and complete strangers weren't going to find you there." Kuroko sighed. He hadn't seen any good options; if he hadn't ducked behind the shrubs, his father would have found him, and having hidden, he ended up in the hospital three days later dehydrated. The pain in his leg - which he now remembered vividly - may also have impacted his ability to think clearly at the time.

"The only thing I find unclear, is how you actually fractured your leg," Akashi confessed. Kuroko fought not to smile, despite the situation. Meeting Akashi's eyes, he began gesturing.

"Isn't there a game like this?" Kise asked. His tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp.

"What's that?" Aomine replied, only partially paying attention to the blonde.

"Where you act out a word and everyone has to guess what it is!" Kise sounded aggravated at Aomine's dismissal, but then that was normal for Kise. Aomine snorted.

"He's not acting out a word, he's acting out a story," Aomine corrected, "and wouldn't it suck to play a game like that against Akashi?" Akashi paused and glanced over.

"It would," he confirmed, before turning back to Kuroko, who seemed to be finishing up. "I don't believe you," he told Kuroko. Kuroko made wide eyes at him. Everyone turned to stare at Akashi, but he kept his eyes on Kuroko. The two gazed at each other before Akashi sighed. "You're honestly telling me that a purse snatcher on a bicycle slammed into you so hard you broke your shin crashing into a bench? And your father didn't see where you went because the transvestite who had been robbed ran the thief down and created a scene?" There was a moment of silence and then laughter erupted into the room.

"Aha, you're the best, Tetsu!" Aomine roared, tears forming in the corner of his eyes as he clutched his stomach laughing. Kuroko fought to keep his face blank. Out of all the ways he could have been injured, it had been such an _improbable_ cause. Of course, he had escaped his father so many times before, it had taken something truly bizarre to cause a problem.

"Kurokocchi -" Kise began, but the blond couldn't get any more words out as he double over laughing.

"Don't laugh at Tets-kun! He was hurt!" Momoi chastised, but even she was struggling to keep the smile off her lips.

"I suppose it's acceptable that Akashi wasn't able to predict that," Midorima said, and when he pushed his glasses up, and looked away, Kuroko was fairly certain he was hiding a smile. Murasakibara walked in and looked around.

"...did everyone try laughing gas, Aka-chin?" He asked, and Kuroko had to admit, it was as good a theory as any under the circumstances.

"No, we were just discussing how Kuroko injured himself." Murasakibara handed Kuroko the sports drink while Akashi replied. Kuroko looked at the drink in dismay.

"Why is Kuro-chin's injury funny?" Murasakibara asked, petting Kuroko _again_. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "they didn't have vanilla, Kuro-chin," Kuroko wasn't sure there were vanilla flavoured sports drinks, but if they did exist, Murasakibara would know about them.

"The point," Akashi said, as Aomine and Kise finally calmed down, "is that you can't return to Seirin, Kuroko." Kuroko stared at Akashi, hurt. He had expected this, under the circumstances, but hearing it hurt.

"Wait a minute!" Aomine exclaimed, "he loves that school-"

"No," Momoi cut him off sharply. "Akashi is right. If Tetsu-kun's father was waiting outside of school for him, it's not safe to let him go back."

"Akashi," Midorima intervened, "do you think that Kuroko's father was looking for Kuroko at school, and only went to the park afterwards? Is that why we were able to find Kuroko first?"

Akashi smiled at Midorima like a teacher pleased with a gifted student. "He didn't know that Kuroko was absent from school, so he started his search there. After not seeing him there for two days, he went back to the last place he had seen Kuroko, Millenium Park."

"Why is he," Kise said that word like a curse, "so determined now? He didn't stalk Teiko like this, even after Akashicchi moved Kurokocchi out."

"I took the opportunity to do some research on this Sawada character," Akashi replied. "It turns out that he is Kuroko-san's new head of department." Kuroko felt his eyes cloud with tears as he realized what his father had intended. He fought them back, knowing how much more it would upset his friends to see him crying.

"What does that mean, Aka-chin?" Murasakibara asked, not catching on as quickly.

"It means that Kuroko-san intends to use Kuroko. He is most likely looking for a promotion and having Kuroko would tip the balance." The room had been quiet before, but now it was ominously still.

"That's so _cold_ ," Momoi said, her voice breaking on the words.

"He's a monster," Midorima added scathingly.

"Kuro-chin should let me crush him," Murasakibara voted.

"Yeah, we should pound him into the _ground_." Kuroko had never heard Aomine sound so savage.

"Kurokocchi, I love you!" Aomine caught Kise by the scruff as he threw himself towards Kuroko.

"I assume that you have not changed your mind about pressing charges against him," Akashi confirmed, his tone both resigned and frustrated. Kuroko nodded, despite the hurt clawing at him. "In that case, you need to be somewhere safe."

"What are you suggesting, Akashicchi?" Kise asked, watching him carefully. It was strange, but in some ways Akashi and Kise were a lot alike in Kuroko's eyes. Both of them knew what it was like to have people try to use them for their own advantage, so perhaps Kuroko's situation resonated the most with them. They were both exceedingly careful in who they held close, having been hurt in the past.

"As much as I would simply like to transfer Kuroko to Rakuzan-" The protests were instantaneous and loud.

"What the hell?! If he's going anywhere, it should be Too!"

"No way! Kurokocchi would look so much better in a Kaijo uniform!"

"That's not the point, Kise!"

"Shutoku has an excellent library." Midorima's comment could barely be heard over the ruckus.

"Kuro-chin should come to Yonsen. It's the furthest away, and then we can eat snacks together."

"Enough." Akashi was able to cut through the noise without difficulty. Captain or not, he was still Akashi. "I expected everyone would want Kuroko," _the way you said that is a little misleading_ , Kuroko thought, fighting a blush, "so I'm going to arrange for him to be transferred to each of our schools for a period of two months."

"You're saying that he won't be at Seirin for the rest of second year? Even though we're only a couple months in?" Momoi clarified. Kuroko frowned, torn. He didn't want to leave Seirin, he was so happy there, but he wasn't willing to go back to his parents. And no matter what his friends said, he couldn't bring himself to press charges against them. Good or bad, they were all he had. He couldn't just give up on them. Maybe one day he would be able to have a good relationship with them.

"We can draw lots. Since Momoi-san and Aomine both go to Too, only one of you will be able to draw." Aomine opened his mouth to argue, but then seemed to remember that he was talking to Akashi, and shut it. "Murasakibara, give me the pocky."

"Eh?" Murasakibara stared at the pocky in his hand, before slowly handing it over. His reluctance was obvious in every movement he made.

"Now," Akashi began, opening the box, then breaking the bottoms off. Keeping the tops, he handed the bottom pieces to Murasakibara, who ate them, pacified. "The shortest lot gets Kuroko first, the longest gets him last, understood?" Everyone nodded, staring intently at the pocky in Akashi's hand. Kuroko watched, feeling a great deal like a prize in a raffle.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry, this chapter is late. I'm not happy with it, but I figured it's better to get it out and move on than to pick away at it. I would prefer to move forward with the story as a reader, so I hope you do, too. To all those who have favourited, followed, and particularly those who've reviewed, my very sincere thanks. If you have any constructive criticism (on this chapter, in particular) please feel free to share.

* * *

Kagami ran. Since he was too stressed to focus on practice, Riko had gotten him running laps. Recently, he felt like all he did was run laps. He wondered where Kuroko was and how he was doing. He worried about his shadow; stubborn, proud, reckless, frustrating, shadow that he was. He hadn't expected that you could miss the presence of someone with so little presence _so much_. But Kuroko, he had realized over the last few days, was like air. You only really noticed him by his absence. He could kind of understand how those arrogant Miracle bastards had ended up taking Kuroko for granted. Speaking of which...

"Kagamicchi!" Kagami was certain that no one's voice was quite as annoying or loud as Kise's. Kise walked over waving as though he hadn't left Seirin worrying for days. Sure, he had sent Kagami a text saying that they had found Kuroko, and another, later, that Kuroko was recovering, but no number of texts had gotten Kagami an answer about what Kuroko was recovering _from_ , or where he had been. It was Saturday now, and Kuroko had been missing since Monday evening.

"Oi! You idiot, don't shout in my ear! I'm going to go deaf!" Aomine was strolling next to the blond. "Yo, Bakagami," he drawled.

"Don't call me Bakagami!" Kagami shouted, tension making him louder than he had intended. Aomine, Kise, Murasakibara, and Momoi-san stared at him. Riko came out of the gym. Ok, he realized he must have been really loud, because basketball practice was never quiet, even when everyone was focused. Riko was clearly prepared to give him a smack for being so noisy when she spotted their company.

"Kagami-kun," Momoi-san greeted politely, before turning to Riko. "B-cup-san," she added. Having seen Momoi-san and Riko-san interact before, Kagami was surprised to see Aomine and Kise choke. Murasakibara didn't seem to find anything strange in the greeting; he just nodded at Kagami, munching on some chips. Riko looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel.

"Satsuki," Aomine said, sounding almost tentative, "do you always greet-" he paused then glanced at Riko. "What's your name again?" Kagami stared. _That's not helping!_ He wanted to scream, but he wasn't going to waste effort helping Aomine. If he was really lucky, Riko would put Aomine in a Boston crab hold. He held his breath, hopeful.

"Riko," she replied frigidly. Kagami sighed. She must be _really_ worried about Kuroko if she didn't do anything to Aomine. _Pity._ Hyuga headed over from the gym just in time to catch the next comment.

"Satsuki, why are you bullying Riko just because she's flat?" By now, Riko, Hyuga, and Kagami were all frozen. Only the Miracles seemed unbothered by the mortification they had caused.

"Aomine, you aren't supposed to say that in front of a girl!" Kise, for once, said something sensible.

"Why? It's true. Besides, Satsuki started it because she's jealous that Rido -"

"Riko," she corrected in a strained voice.

"- gets to manage Tetsu."

"Not any more," Momoi said with a smile as bright and ominous as any of Riko's. "Tetsu will be coming to Too now."

"What?!" Kagami shouted. Riko and Hyuga both looked stunned. Kuroko loved Seirin. He would _never_ agree to leave.

"That's not true, he's going to Kaijo, too!" Kise protested. Kagami watched them argue, totally lost. Kuroko was leaving Seirin? He was going to Too and Kaijo? First he went missing for three days, now he's leaving? _What the hell is going on?_

"But he's going to Too now," Momoi-san insisted. Aomine snorted.

"Some copy-cat you are Kise! You totally suck!" Aomine taunted.

"Drawing pocky is not a skill, Aominecchi!" Kise wailed. Drawing pocky? The conversation was just getting weirder and weirder. "Drawing pocky is not a skill I can copy! It's luck! And you didn't draw for it either, Momoicchi did!"

"Of course," she said, oozing confidence over her ability to... draw pocky?

"Enough!" Kagami snapped angrily. His temper was at its limit, and they were talking crap. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Look," Kise stretched out his arms, clearly trying to pacify them, apparently just remembering that there were other people around. Kagami didn't want to be pacified, though. He wanted to shake some answers out of his shadow. "For various reasons, it's not safe for Kurokocchi to stay at Seirin, so he's going to transfer out for the rest of the year -"

"Safe?!" Kagami exclaimed. "The rest of the _year_! Tell me what is going on!" As Kise opened his mouth, Kagami shook his head. "Look, forget it. Just tell me where Kuroko is, and I'll talk to him myself." The three glanced at each other before turning back to Kagami.

"Tetsu wanted to talk to you, too," Aomine admitted. "We're here to take you to him." And boy did he sound unhappy about that.

* * *

"Here's your new phone," Akashi said, handing a new sky blue cell phone to Kuroko. He looked at it carefully. As expected, it was top of the line. Kuroko didn't need to ask to know that this one was also equipped with GPS.

"I'll be monitoring the GPS signal myself-" _of course you will_ , Kuroko thought tiredly, "but I expect you to call me every day."

"Akashi-kun-" Kuroko objected.

"Every day," Akashi repeated firmly.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko tried again, speaking quietly because his throat was still sore, knowing Akashi would catch every word. "You know that this isn't your fault, right?" Akashi froze, then smiled wistfully. Perhaps Kuroko wasn't the only one who had forgotten what it was like to be seen through.

"It is," he replied just as quietly. "I should have warned you not to shoot, or dribble-" but Kuroko was already shaking his head. He couldn't leave Akashi thinking like that. Because he had always had too much responsibility for his age, he had always taken on the blame for other people's actions.

"I would have done it anyway." Kuroko's throat hurt, but this needed saying. "I wanted to win," Kuroko hesitated, then admitted, "and I missed all of you." Akashi's smile saddened. He reached out and brushed his thumb across Kuroko's cheek.

"I'm sorry." Akashi drew a shuddering breath and then stood up and bowed deeply.

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko struggled to stop him.

"No," Even apologizing, Akashi's voice was strong. "I need to apologize for hurting you in the past, and for allowing you to be hurt now."

"Akashi-kun, don't," Kuroko pleaded. He had never wanted apologies, he just wanted his friends back. As much as Ogiwara-kun had meant to Kuroko, he had never known all of his secrets. Akashi and the others did. Far from disdaining him, they had offered to go to war for him. They had made it clear that they didn't blame him for anything, either. To loose the first unconditional acceptance he had found in his life had been a devastating blow. "I'm just glad everyone is back to themselves now."

"I thought with the GPS, the concierge, and the move that you would be safe. Your father, or someone he knows, must have seen you in one of the sports magazines. Seirin's win has certainly been a hot topic." Akashi's voice turned rueful. It was true, though, that a no name school like Seirin defeating the reigning champions Rakuzan had generated a lot of discussion. Kuroko met Akashi's eyes and smiled. "I'm not willing to make any more mistakes where you are concerned, Kuroko." Kuroko sighed. If having him call every day would help Akashi deal with the unfounded guilt, then Kuroko would call every day. It wouldn't be a bad thing really; Akashi had always been fascinating to talk to.

"About the hospital bill-" Kuroko began.

"I've taken care of it."

"Akashi-kun-" Kuroko wanted to protest, but what could he say? He was already living off Akashi-kun's charity. He certainly had no money to pay for it himself.

"I don't always want to be a burden to Akashi-kun," Kuroko murmured. "Tell me how much it cost, and one day I will pay you back."

"There's no need," Akashi assured him.

"Akashi-kun-"

"Do I need to threaten you with expulsion again, Kuroko?" Akashi's voice was half serious, half joking. Even returned to himself, you had to be careful when Akashi used that tone, because he truly was half _serious_. Kuroko sighed. That was how Akashi had gotten him to live in the condo in the first place. "And you seem to be misunderstanding something, Kuroko." He looked at Akashi curiously. "I didn't buy your condo. I bought your condo building."

"I thought you said you used your allowance."

"I did."

"Akashi-kun gets too much allowance," Kuroko stated, but Akashi was visibly amused by the idea.

"It's an appropriate amount for the Akashi heir to receive, and it allows me to practice investing in different ventures before inheriting everything." Akashi sounded perfectly rational, as though a high school student buying a condo building was entirely normal. Then again, Akashi's normal had never coincided with anyone else's. "There's no need to feel guilty, Kuroko. It was a wonderful opportunity; that building was very poorly managed. I've increased revenue by 300% since buying it."

"Akashi-kun is scary," Kuroko deadpanned.

* * *

Himuro glanced at Kiyoshi. He knew virtually nothing about Iron Heart, except that he was a strong centre, yet here he was, sitting on a bench watching him play with Seirin's dog - what kind of a name was Nigou, anyway? - while the rest of the team did drills. Himuro had been spending time with Seirin while waiting for Atsushi to return from wherever Kuroko was. Despite careful probing, Himuro hadn't been able to find out what had happened to his brother's partner; Atsushi had simply assured him that Akashi was taking care of everything, which, as far as Himuro was concerned, could mean anything. He had been aware of Atsushi's faith in his former captain since they had met, but it was still staggering.

"...How is you injury?" Himuro asked, glancing at the bandages on Kiyoshi's leg. Kiyoshi glanced over at him with a friendly smile.

"Not bad," Kiyoshi assured him, but from what Himuro had heard, that had to be a lie. "I'll be going in for surgery next week" continued Kiyoshi cheerfully. Himuro stared. Seirin sure seemed to be an embarrassingly good-natured team. No wonder Taiga was so happy here. Before he could think of a reply, Himuro spotted Hyuga and Riko walking back into the gym looking completely lost, with Murasakibara trailing in behind them. Now that was unexpected, Himuro thought. _What happened outside?_

"Atsushi!" He called out, drawing the giant's attention.

"Muro-chin," Murasakibara replied, casually heading over and sitting down on the bench next to Himuro. Riko-san and Hyuga followed him over.

"Murasakibara-kun, what did Kise-kun mean when he said it wasn't safe for Kuroko to return to Seirin?" Determination shone in Riko-san's eyes, and Himuro hoped his friend had no objection to answering, because it would be hard to refuse such pressure. Himuro considered the implications of that question while Murasakibara finished chewing. Kiyoshi looked between the four of them, bewildered.

"Kuro-chin's father found out Kuro-chin was here, so now we have to hide him." Murasakibara explained, pausing in his snacking. "We don't like Kuro-chin's parents. I want to crush them." Himuro froze. He had heard Murasakibara complain about wanting to crush people before, but this was different. Murasakibara had sounded truly _feral_. It was easy to tell that the others were shaken by the cold reply.

"Why don't you like them, Atsushi?" Himuro inquired.

"They're mean to Kuro-chin, so we don't like them." Was Kuroko's family abusive? Himuro wondered, seriously concerned for the first time. He had thought Atsushi's friends were just overreacting coming all the way to Tokyo, but he may have underestimated the situation, badly. If that was the case, Himuro was certain that Taiga didn't know anything about it.

"Where has he been?" Hyuga asked, looking somewhat faint.

"Millenium Park," Murasakibara replied. "Kuro-chin fractured his leg, so he couldn't get help." Even Himuro paled at the thought of Kuroko lying around injured for _days_. "He's getting out of the hospital today."

"Why didn't he call us?" Riko wondered, sounding hurt.

"He dropped his phone." That simple. That frightening.

"So he's going to Too, and Kaijo so that his father won't find him?" Riko clarified. Murasakibara nodded, then frowned.

"Kuro-chin will stay with all of us," Murasakibara answered, sounding happy. "Aka-chin decided we could share Kuro-chin. He'll be coming to Yonsen in four months, then we can share snacks." Himuro stared. Well, he was obviously going to get to know Kuroko much better. "Your dog looks like Kuro-chin," Murasakibara added, popping another chip in his mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, I hope this is better than the last chapter, at least. I kept thinking that someone would review and tell me to quite writing altogether after posting that, but quite miraculously, nobody I did. I appreciate that, by the way, and those who reviewed, favourites, and followed. Your support keeps me wring (and sane, some days). I can't believe I have more than 50 follows, and many favoutrites. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Once again, thank you.

I'm struggling a bit with the story, so I'm going to try brute forcing it, and just keep writing, since things were coming fairly easily at first. I hope that's ok with you guys.

* * *

Aomine was nervous. For once, he was up early, and he spent the extra hour getting ready to pick up Tetsu for his first day at Too. After breakfast, Aomine had brushed his teeth (twice), combed his hair (four times), and switched shirts (three times). Aomine took a deep breath staring at the shirt in his hands. _It's the same goddamn shirt_ , he insisted to himself. _You wear a uniform. They're_ all _the same goddamn shirt._ His hands shook as he tied his tie. _It's just Tetsu_ , he told himself, but then all he could think of were beautiful sky blue eyes, and... He groaned.

"Dai-chan!" Satsuki called out, coming up the stairs. "We need to leave early today so we can-" She threw his door open without knocking, then stared at him. She was way too at home in his house, and he was embarrassed that she had caught him

"Dammit, Satsuki, at least knock!" Aomine protested. Momoi was looking at the shirts piled on his bed, obviously having realized that today, at least, she did not need to drag him out of bed. He bemoaned the fact that hadn't gone downstairs, so she wouldn't see any evidence of his anxiousness. He knew she would put the pieces together, and fought not to blush.

"I knew it!" She said excitedly. "You love Tetsu-kun, too!" Why was she happy about that?

"Um, Satsuki..."

"Don't try to deny it," she complained. "You're so possessive about Tetsu-kun, it's completely obvious." Well, great, that was just what he wanted to hear. "But you know," a devious look crossed her face, "even if it's you, I won't go easy."

"Um, Satsuki, what are you talking about?"

"Mou!" She complained, pouting. "In the battle to win Tetsu-kun's heart!"

"The what?!" Aomine choked.

"The battle for Tetsu-kun's heart," Satauki repeated, hearts appearing in here eyes. She spoke as though the answer was obvious. How was he friends with a girl like this? "Now that you're not in denial anymore, we can go all out!"

"Denial!" Aomine objected, ignoring the patronizing look Satsuki levelled at him. "Look, I'm not expecting anything of Tetsu-"

"You wouldn't be all dressed up-"

"It's the uniform, Satsuki!"

"If you didn't want to impress Tetsu-kun," she continued confidently. Which was true, but Aomine wasn't quite willing to deal with that yet. It was hard enough to be gay for your (most likely straight) best friend without doing anything about it. "Let me fix your tie," she added, moving forward and re-doing the knot into something approaching tidy. "Now let's go get Tetsu-kun!"

The walk to Kuroko's condo only took about fifteen minutes, and Aomine was able to tune out Satsuki's happy babble from years of long practice. He was at least as excited as she was to be going to school with Tetsu again, but didn't feel the need to talk about it during the walk. How did Satsuki find so many different ways to say the same thing over and over again, anyway?

A different concierge from the one they had met only days earlier nodded the two of them through. Presumably Akashi had sent profiles of the people allowed to access Kuroko. Aomine was sure that Akashi had gotten even more extreme with Kuroko's safety now that he had been injured. Aomine didn't know if the concierge who had failed to report Kuroko's disappearance was off duty, or if Akashi had fired him, but he would be frankly unbothered if it was the second. He didn't have any interest in someone whose negligence had endangered Tetsu.

Once they got off the elevator, Momoi skipped ahead happily, and rang the bell for Kuroko's unit. There was a delay before they heard the bolt slide back and Kuroko opened the door.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi shouted, launching herself at the bluenette. Aomine blessed his lightening quick reflexes as he caught her before she knocked Tetsu to the ground.

"Be careful!" Aomine scolded. "He's on crutches!"

"Just one," Kuroko corrected, motioning the single crutch propped under his arm.

"Ah!" Momoi exclaimed, "Sorry Tetsu-kun, I've just missed you so much."

"Good morning, Momoi-san, Aomine-kun," Tetsu greeted, far too politely, in Aomine's opinion. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"Tch," Aomine glanced away, embarrassed, "don't fuss about the little things, Tetsu."

"We're so happy to be going to school with you again, Tetsu-kun!" Momoi gushed. Aomine stared at her. How did she and the blond do that? But seeing Tetsu smile at them made Aomine wish he could spout lines like that. Once in a while. "You look so good in our uniform!" She continued, and Aomine hated to admit it, but... she was right.

"Your uniform looks different from mine," Aomine really hadn't meant to say that out loud,but the words just tumbled out. _I hate mornings_ , he thought with a sigh.

"That's because it's fitted," Momoi explained.

"Is it?" Tetsu questioned. Aomine rolled his eyes. Count on Satsuki to know more about Tetsu's clothes than he did.

"Yes, Akashi-kun must have gotten it altered for you. That's why it accents your hips and shoulders so well." Deciding to move away from the topic of Tetsu's (very nice) hips and shoulders, Aomine forcefully changed the subject.

"How are you doing with the leg?" He asked.

"Dai-chan can carry your bag!" Momoi voluntold before Tetsu could reply.

"Oi! Satsuki, don't just volunteer me for things!" Aomine objected impulsively, but then hesitated seeing Tetsu fumble while juggling his crutch, his bag, and his keys. "Honestly, Tetsu, how can you be this clumsy?" He reached out and grabbed the bag from Kuroko's hands.

"I'm not clumsy," Tetsu insisted. Aomine snorted.

"Yes, you are. You just get away with it because no one notices you."

"... I'm getting better with the crutches." The deflection made Aomine smile since it meant he had won the last argument. "I only fell four times this morning" Aomine sweatdropped.

"How the hell do you fall that many times in, like, an hour, Tetsu?" Aomine was almost impressed with that level of clumsiness. To think this guy was one of the best high school basketball players in the country. Once they got in the elevator, Kuroko replied.

"I forgot."

"What do you mean?" Momoi asked, hovering near Kuroko, clearly wishing she could hang onto him as usual.

"I forgot my leg was broken." There was a pause as they considered his answer, and then Aomine roared with laughter as they exited the building.

"Ahaha! You're the best Tetsu! I'd forgotten what a ditz you could be." Laughing, Aomine glanced over to see Satskui beaming, and a very slight smile on Tetsu's face. For the first time in a long time, he felt like everything was right in his world.

* * *

Momoi was filled with joy. Aomine had gone to get ready for morning practice (which in itself was amazing, because Aomine _hated_ mornings), while Momoi led Kuroko around Too. The decision for her to follow Dai-chan to Too had been a painful one, and she was happy to have Tetsu-kun with them, even if it was just for a couple of months. Momoi was amazed at how many people stared at them when they walked by. Was it because of the crutch, or was Tetsu-kun this visible everywhere he went, now? She and Dai-chan would need to walk Tetsu-kun to and from school everyday, if that was the case. Not that she minded! The more time she spent with her two favourite guys, the happier she was. They arrived at the Principal's office to find that Akashi had, as expected, gotten everything organized with the school; they had simply needed to introduce Kuroko to him.

Since Momoi had duties as the manager of the basketball club and Kuroko was a basketball idiot, they headed straight to the gym to watch the morning practice. Aomine was practicing on his own when they entered, but his head snapped up as they came in.

"Play with me, Tetsu!" He called out, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Aomine rarely invited people to train with him, and _never_ so cheerfully. The team buzzed with gossip as Aomine jogged over to join them.

"Tetsu-kun can't practice!" Momoi exclaimed.

"He can pass from the bench!" Aomine insisted. Momoi hesitated. _Oh, Dai-chan_ , she thought. _Have you really missed playing with Tetsu-kun that much?_

"Ok," Kuroko agreed, limping over to the bench. Momoi glanced at him, then gave in with a sigh. If this meant that much to them, she wouldn't interfere. Akashi-kun had asked her to keep an eye on Kuroko and make sure his healing went well, but there was no reason why he couldn't pass from the bench as long as they kept it light.

"Ryo, come over here a minute!"

"I'm sorry!" He apologized, coming straight over, "I don't know what I did wrong! I'm sorry for not knowing-" Momoi tuned him out as Wakamatsu approached her.

"Momoi-san," he greeted, "why is Seirin's phantom here?"

"Tetsu-kun is attending Too for the next two months," she told him happily. He stared at her, obviously stunned. It was clear that Wakamatsu realized there was more to that story, but he was smart enough not to ask.

"What happened to his leg?"

"He broke it." Which was all Wakamatsu really needed to know about that. Despite Wakamatsu's dislike of Aomine, Momoi had so far found him to be a good captain for the team. He was focused, determined, hard-working, and passionate; all qualities which made for a good captain in her eyes. It would be nice if he could lighten up a bit, but she could work with him. "Tetsu-kun will be able to take the plastic cast off in six weeks," she continued, and she was already counting the days. _That means that Tetsu-kun and Dai-chan will be able to play together for two weeks, as long as they take it easy_ , she thought with a smile.

"I've never understood Aomine's relationship with that guy," Wakamatsu commented. _He's in love with him!_ Momoi wanted to shout, because Dai-chan had _finally_ accepted the fact that he was totally into Tetsu-kun.

"Tetsu-kun and Aomine-kun were partners in Teiko," she said instead. "They were very close."

"I guess," Wakamatsu replied watching Ryo pass to Kuroko who sent the ball flying to Aomine...who joyfully dunked it. Momoi could almost _hear_ Midorima complaining about dunk monkeys.

* * *

"Wait here and we'll walk you home, Tetsu," Aomine offered, wiping sweat off his face, having just finished the afternoon practice. The rest of his team was staring at him, bewildered. Even Satsuki seemed amazed, and Wakamatsu hadn't found a single reason to complain about Aomine all day, except that it was freaky to see him being so serious. While Aomine had gone back to practicing after being defeated by Kuroko and Kagami, he hadn't been going all out. But he figured that if basketball was his only good point, if that was the only way he could get Tetsu's attention, then he'd spare no effort. He couldn't even remember the last time he had practiced this hard, but it had to have been at Teiko. Second year, probably, with Tetsu as his shadow.

"I'm not a girl, Aomine-kun," Kuroko replied with a slight frown, "you don't need to walk me home."

"I was going to stop at Maji Burger," Aomine said, hoping that would still be enough to tip the balance, without telling Kuroko that he _definitely_ needed protecting while injured. Tetsu might be a great basketball player, but having seen him confront bullies, Aomine knew that he had as much strength as a baby bunny in a fight. A really cute, blue haired baby bunny... Ok, picturing Tetsu with bunny ears is a no-no in public, Aomine realized, trying to focus on his friend, and not the images his overactive imagination had instantly provided.

"We can go to Tetsu-kun's place after, and I can cook dinner!" Satsuki added, and terror drove all thoughts of blue-haired bunnies from Aomine's mind.

"No! Dammit, Satsuki, Tetsu's already injured, don't poison him, too!"

"My cooking's not that bad!" She objected hotly.

"Your cooking deserves to be classified as a type of poison, Satsuki!"

"Tetsu-kun, what do you think?" Aomine felt bad, watching his polite friend struggle with his reply, but at the end of the day, Kuroko was honest.

"I think a vanilla shake sounds good." Momoi stared at him for a long moment.

"You two can have time together, today. I'm going to the library." Momoi was strong, so Aomine wasn't worried about the comment crushing her spirits. Instead, he was worried about what she was scheming.

"The library won't help you cook!" Aomine called out, certain that she was planning some new butchery of otherwise good food.

"The library helps with everything," Kuroko refuted. Aomine snorted and shook his head.

Aomine showered and changed quickly, not wanting to make Kuroko wait long, especially since he knew what Kuroko was like about his vanilla shakes. Aomine insisted on carrying Kuroko's bag again, because despite what Kuroko said, he really needed to concentrate on using his crutch. The two of them were pretty quiet heading to Maji Burger, and once they got their orders, Aomine suggested they walk outside. Even after working out, he was too restless to sit still.

"Did you tell him?" He finally burst out. Kuroko glanced at question had been bothering him since he had taken Kagami to see Kuroko in the hospital.

"I have no context for what you just said," Kuroko replied.

"Kagami," Aomine clarified. "Did you tell him about your parents?"

"There's nothing to tell," Kuroko answered with a frown.

"Like hell there isn't!" Aomine growled in frustration. Tetsu had always been like this, determined not to make a fuss, that it wasn't a big deal, but it was a big deal. It was awful, and those two whack jobs had done a number on Tetsu's self-esteem.

"It's not like they beat me, or anything," Kuroko argued, sighing. "It's true I wasn't comfortable living there, but..."

"Not comfortable! Tetsu, beating someone isn't the only way to hurt someone! They're awful!" Aomine shouted, then realizing he had lost his temper, sighed. He certainly wasn't angry at Tetsu, he just hated the way he kept defending them. Aomine took a deep breath before forcing his apology out. "...Sorry, Tetsu. I don't like how they treat you. You deserve so much better than that." Aomine was too embarrassed to look at Kuroko directly, but out of the corner of his eye, he was fairly certain that Tetsu teared up a little at his words.

"Thank you," Tetsu murmured eventually. "And, no, I didn't tell Kagami."

"Why not?" There was a long pause as they entered Kuroko's condo building and headed to his room. Kuroko unlocked the door, and silently invited Aomine in. Aomine dumped both their bags at the door, kicked off his shoes, and followed him in.

"I'm not sure," Kuroko answered sitting down on his sofa and finishing the last of his shake, as if he hadn't left the question hanging for the better part of ten minutes. "I think it's because he's innocent." Aomine thought about the volatile red-haired teen he had met, and was certain Tetsu had used the wrong word.

"Innocent?" Aomine repeated doubtfully. Kuroko smiled at him, and heat rushed to Aomine's face.

"You wouldn't think so, would you?" Kuroko pondered. "But he is. He's not like us. In some way, all of us at Teiko had lost our innocence young, but Kagami hasn't. I like that about him," Kuroko continued, and Aomine did his best not to show the way his heart stopped at those words, "but it makes it hard to say some things to him. I don't think he could understand; it's just too far from anything he's every experienced for it to make sense to him." Aomine was relieved that it was still only them who knew Tetsu's secrets, even though he felt guilty about being relieved.

"Tetsu-" Before he could frame his reply, his stomach rumbled. Kuroko stared at him.

"Your stomach sounds like a cow dying," Kuroko deadpanned.

"What the hell? No it doesn't!" Aomine denied, getting up and moving to the kitchen. "Please tell me that you have something other than eggs," he grumbled, opening the fridge. The fridge was.. full. Aomine turned to stare at Tetsu who was slowly making his way over.

"Akashi-kin got me some groceries." Kuroko answered the look.

"He doesn't know you only cook eggs?" The thought of Akashi not knowing something was a little inconceivable.

"I'm not going to cook it," Kuroko assured Aomine, and it took a minute for his words to register.

"Wait a minute, I'm not cooking for you every day!"

"You have to. If Momoi-san cooks for me every day, I might die." Aomine paused to consider that statement.

"That's true."


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry this has taken me so long to get up! Like everyone else, I am quite busy, but I'm so delighted that people are enjoying the story. I publish each chapter thinking this will be he chapter where everyone gives up on me, but I'm really happy that people are still liking it. I love reviews & thank you for reading!

* * *

"What have you done to Aomine?" Wakamatsu confronted Kuroko a week after he had transferred to Too. Kuroko was settling in, although being the centre of attention in his class, both as a transfer student, and because of the crutches, was taking some getting used to. Much to his dismay, he couldn't sleep in class anymore, either.

"Excuse me?" Kuroko replied, genuinely confused.

"Aomine is practicing hard without being told, attending his classes, not starting fights...it's like he's suddenly become a model student."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kuroko questioned, interested in what Wakamatsu was saying.

"Of course it is, it's just creepy." Kuroko hid a smile at the expression which crossed the captain's face. "He hasn't brought any porn, as far as I know, or stolen Sakurai's food, or well, done anything Aomine-ish since you arrived," he elaborated, entirely unaware of how Kuroko was committing Aomine's normal behaviour patterns to memory for future use (blackmail was a valid tactic, after all). "Even his uniform is tidy!"

"Oi! Wakamatsu, what are you telling him!" Aomine ran over, finally identifying the danger of letting those two chat freely. That was fine though; Kuroko had gathered plenty of information from their brief discussion. Aomine eyed the bluenette carefully, but Kuroko kept his face blank.

"Everyone!" Momoi called out cheerfully, entering the gym. Once all of the members had gathered around her, she shared the news. "Coach Harasawa just arranged for a practice match with Seirin." Kuroko startled at that. "They're coming here on Friday, so we need to step it up. They're not going to have Tetsu-kun" Momoi motioned to him with her hand, drawing everyone's eyes to him, "and Kiyoshi, but they're the reigning champions, so we can't take it easy," she declared.

Kuroko listened carefully as Momoi began giving specific tips to each player. It was difficult to say whether she or Riko was better at drawing out a player's potential, but listening to Momoi reminded Kuroko of how much he and the Generation of Miracles owed her. None of us would be the players we are now without her insights, Kuroko acknowledged. Momoi was as strict as ever with the players, and even Aomine was not spared. Kuroko watched Aomine while Momoi detailed the flaws in his playing: mostly regarding his failure to pass. Three points, after all, were better than two. Kuroko was glad that Aomine was cleaning up his act, although he found it strange that Wakamatsu-senpai associated the change with him.

Kuroko had been getting to know the Too team, and had so far found them... interesting. Watching Sakurai apologize to Aomine for breathing after missing a difficult pass, he wondered if normal people were in able to play basketball well. Kuroko carefully failed to how that might apply to him, and instead pondered the mysteries of his old team.

Ever since his father had reappeared in his life, his old friends had been more involved. Or perhaps more accurately, more involved again. Aomine was walking him to and from school every day, and Momoi was meticulously supervising his recovery, while studying cooking, apparently. Kuroko figured a diet of boiled eggs and milkshakes was much safer than anything Momoi could cook, but hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her that. Midorima either called or texted every day with information about Kuroko's lucky item and where it was available, Murasakibara sent photos of his snacks, with suggestions on which ones Kuroko might like, Kise had gone from texting three times a day to texting ten times a day, and Akashi had come down from Kyoto to stay with him over the weekend. Having attentively watched the practice, Kuroko let his thoughts drift back to Akashi's visit over the weekend once everyone started filing into the locker room. Aomine never made him wait long, but it would still take him a few minutes to shower and change.

"You should always check the door before opening it, Kuroko," Akashi had greeted, stepping in as Kuroko held the door open.

"Hello, Akashi-kun," Kuroko replied, only mildly surprised by his former captain's unannounced visit. Akashi was carrying a bag on his shoulder, which Kuroko already suspected had clothes for the weekend in it.

"Has Aomine been cooking for you?" Akashi asked, slipping off his shoes, and walking into the living room. Kuroko gave him a look. Akashi smiled in reply. "Miso soup is very good."

"Just because you like it doesn't mean I want to eat it everyday," Kuroko grumbled.

"Does he pack your lunches, too?" Akashi was, as usual, impervious to Kuroko's sullen look. "What does he make?" As if he didn't already know.

"Onigiri," Kuroko ground out.

"So you have boiled eggs for breakfast, onigiri for lunch, and miso soup for dinner?" Kuroko didn't bother replying. "That's a much healthier diet than boiled eggs and milkshakes."

"I want to eat something else," Kuroko declared, eyeing Akashi hopefully.

"You could learn how to cook yourself, Kuroko," Akashi scolded gently.

"I can cook," Kuroko insisted.

"Boiling an egg does not count as cooking, Kuroko."

"Yes, it does." Akashi and Kuroko stared at each other, having reached an impasse.

"How are things going with Aomine?" Akashi was the one the switch the topic, knowing how stubborn Kuroko was about pretty much everything.

"Good," Kuroko said. Only someone who knew him well would have identified that slight crease in his lips as a smile. Akashi, however, knew him. "It's nice seeing Aomine-kun and Momoi-san every day, even if I can't play basketball with him."

"Momoi-san has been keeping me up-to-date with your recovery." Kuroko didn't even sigh. He'd somewhat forgotten about this side of Akashi. No detail was too small for his notice and attention. "It seems that things are progressing well."

"Yes," Kuroko agreed.

"That's good. Having you rotate through the teams will add an additional challenge in predicting this year's tournaments," Akashi reflected. "It will be interesting to see how you can coordinate with everyone, now that you've convinced us all to use team play." Akashi's voice was wry. It seemed strange to Kuroko that Akashi failed to acknowledge the possibility of a school not using him as a regular. Kuroko wondered where that confidence came from. Why would they bench one of their regulars just to let him play for a couple months? As he was wondering what Akashi saw that he didn't, a voice reached him.

"Tetsu-kun," Momoi said, coming over to him. "I'd like to examine your leg and see how you're doing." Kuroko nodded his permission. Momoi had insisted on examining his leg every day, and was already developing a recovery regime for him. Knowing that she was sending the information to Akashi didn't bother Kuroko as much as he felt it should have. In some ways he may have gotten used to strange things at Teiko. Kuroko also realized that letting Momoi fuss over him would help her forget why he had been injured in the first place. Kuroko was unfazed as she knelt in front of him and carefully removed the plastic cast. Her beautiful pink head was bowed as she gently traced her fingers over his leg. He watched her, knowing that she saw so much more than he did looking at his body.

"Yo, Tetsu," Aomine greeted,drawing Kuroko out of his reverie. Aomine waited more or less patiently for Momoi to finish her examination.

"You're really scary, Kuroko," Wakamatsu commented, joining them.

"Oi! We're going home! Leave us alone!" Aomine objected.

"Aomine-kun." Aomine froze at Kuroko's tone. "That's not how you should address your captain, or any senpai."

"But he just insulted you!"

"I don't believe Wakamatsu-senpai intended the comment as an insult," Kuroko replied.

"I didn't," Wakamatsu agreed, but he didn't clarify it either. Kuroko looked around, trying to work out the meaning of the comment, and realized that the rest of the team had gathered to watch them. What had he missed? "You really have no idea, do you?" Wakamatsu snorted, apparently exasperated, then left shaking his head with most of the team trailing out of the gym behind him.

Aomine frowned after his captain, but didn't move as Momoi replaced the cast.

"It's healing well," she assessed. You've obviously been looking after it." Kuroko nodded. It was frustrating, but not being able to play basketball was worse, so he was being very diligent about following the doctor's orders.

"Thank you, Momoi-san." Kuroko bowed to her.

"Tetsu-kun!" She beamed, and Kuroko was relieved that she restrained herself from throwing herself at him. She had learned after the first couple of days. Thankfully there had been no serious in the intern.

"That's great, let's go home, Tetsu," Aomine interrupted, obviously bored.

"Take care!" Momoi looked like she wanted to go with them as she waved them off, but chose to stay at school for what Kuroko nervously anticipated was another day of cooking practice. Respecting her desire to keep it to herself, Kuroko never commented on why she stayed.

Kuroko and Aomine had already fallen into a routine together: walk home together, have Aomine cook miso soup, eat, then study. Kuroko had insisted on paying Aomine back for the cooking by tutoring him in, well, everything, after they finished eating, and surprisingly enough, Aomine hadn't complained much about it.

"Have you really missed Kagami that much?" Aomine asked as after a few minutes of walking in silence. Kuroko stared at him, completely surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been happy ever since Satsuki mentioned the practice match," Aomine clarified. Kuroko was momentarily startled by Aomine's insight. Even after everything, Aomine still knew him well. But not, obviously, perfectly.

"Ah," Kuroko replied, understanding, "I was thinking of Nigou." Aomine paused, considering that.

"Isn't that your dog?" Kuroko nodded. "...Do you miss your dog that much?"

"Yes," Kuroko deadpanned. "He's a very cute dog." Aomine choked.

"Do you want to have him live with you? Are you allowed dogs at the condo?"

Kuroko widened his eyes and stared at Aomine in apparent disbelief. "Who could say no to Nigou?" Aomine snorted.

"So who's got the dog now?"

"Hyuga-senpai," Kuroko replied. "We take turns looking after Nigou."

"Do you honestly think they'll bring the dog to a practice match?" Aomine asked, almost rhetorically. It fell flat when Kuroko nodded seriously.

"Nigou is Seirin's mascot," he assured Aomine. "Seirin needs their mascot."

* * *

Friday came quickly, and Aomine practiced hard every day. He could admit to himself that he was actually nervous about facing Kagami again. Not that Kagami amounted to much without Tetsu's support, but... Shit, Aomine realized, I'm worried about screwing up in front of Tetsu. What's happened to me? Am I Satsuki? Aomine swore to himself that he would never let anyone find out about this.

Aomine had been sent to greet Seirin at the gates, and he wasn't sure who was less pleased about that, him or Seirin. He had argued with Wakamatsu right up until Kuroko had offered to go, at which point Aomine had yielded. Kuroko hadn't said a word, but Aomine knew that his shoulder was hurting him from using the crutch all the time. He had mentioned it to Satsuki on his way out, trusting her to look after Tetsu.

...

They. Were. LATE.

Aomine fumed at the gate, earning frightened glances from the students scurrying home.

"Sorry we're late!" Their coach - Riko? Rido? - called out at they approached. Aomine was exasperated to realize that Kuroko was right. They had brought the damn dog. Some kid Aomine didn't recognize was holding him. Assumedly the new faces were first years. Although who was he kidding? Excluding Kagami, he barely recognized their regulars.

"This way," Aomine turned around, but paused when Kagami grabbed his shoulder.

"What kind of greeting is that?" He sounded honestly outraged.

"Do you want to play, or not?" Aomine demanded.

"What?! I want to play!" Kagami protested eagerly.

"What are you, a kid?" Aomine snorted. He heard a few of Seirin's members chuckle at that, but didn't take his eyes from Kagami to see who. "Everyone's waiting, and you're already late. Let's go."

"It was, like, five minutes!" Kagami protested, but he settled down as Aomine led them into the gym.

"Oi! Wakamatsu! I brought-" Aomine paused, glancing between his team and Seirin, who had frozen in the doorway. They all seemed to be staring at Tetsu and Satsuki. Aomine focused on his friends trying to figure out what had captured everyone's attention. Tetsu sat on the bench with his shirt off, while Satsuki rubbed cream into his shoulder. Tetsu's naked chest was enough to take Aomine's breath away, but he forced himself not to stare at Tetsu's porcelain perfection, and tried to focus on Satsuki instead. Aomine knew her well enough to know that she was annoyed at herself for missing Tetsu's injury, but it probably wasn't obvious to everyone else. "Um, guys, what's wrong with everyone?"

"Can't you see?" A first year from Too whose name Aomine hadn't bothered to learn spoke in a hush from near the door. "Momoi-san is completely in love with Kuroko-senpai."

"Are you kidding?" It was a serious question coming from Aomine. "Satsuki's been in love with Tetsu for years."

"Eh?!" Several people exclaimed. Aomine hated being confused, but really, why did any of this matter?

"But Momoi-san is the hottest girl in Too!" Aomine turned to stare at the first year, incredulous.

"Satsuki?" Most of his teammates nodded vigorously.

"You honestly don't know?" Someone else asked. "She's the most popular girl in the school."

"Satsuki," Aomine repeated, sure there must be a mistake somewhere. His team simply nodded.

"Look how intimate she is with Kuroko-senpai," some bench warmer said wistfully.

"Maybe I need a new team," Aomine commented, disturbed. "You guys have clearly lost it if you consider Satsuki hot." He turned to Seirin. "Aren't you guys going to greet Tetsu, or should we just start the match?" That seemed to break their strange paralysis, and they ran towards the bluenette.

"Kuroko!" The shouted, almost in unison, sprinting towards the phantom. Covering his ears would have been lame, so Aomine didn't, but why were they shouting like that when Kuroko was right in front of them? They handed Nigou to Tetsu, while they fussed over him.

Aomine heard them pepper Tetsu with questions - mostly about his leg - and had to hold back a laugh as Kuroko explained how he had broken it. Listening to it, the whole thing sounded comical. Kuroko didn't mention how frightened he must have been, injured and unable to call for help. He didn't ask why they had waited three days to contact Kise about his disappearance. He just smiled slightly as they laughed. Aomine noticed the deliberate way Kuroko avoided telling Seirin why he had been running when he was hit by the bike, and thought a couple of his teammates had too. Sometimes Aomine found being near Tetsu profoundly humbling. Tetsu showed him a strength like bedrock; the kind of strength that legends, big and small, were made of.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion," Wakamatsu apologized after a few minutes, "but we'd like to start the match."

"Of course," Hyuga replied, apparently embarrassed that they needed to be reminded.

"You can change over here," Wakamatsu instructed, leading them away.

Aomine flopped down next to Tetsu and Nigou. "It seems that my team is jealous that Satsuki's in love with you." Tetsu stared at him.

"Is that why some first years called me out this afternoon?" Aomine felt his blood boil.

"You got called out?" Tetsu was far from helpless, but attacking someone who was already injured was the worst. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter," Kuroko met his gaze calmly.

"Yes it damn well does!" Aomine snapped. "Did they hurt you? Is that why your shoulder is bothering you?"

"I'm fine," Kuroko assured him. Looking at Aomine, Kuroko sighed. "I wasn't hurt, I promise."

"You got away from them?" Aomine clarified. Then he realized,"on crutches."

"It was a little difficult," Kuroko admitted.

"But you managed." Kuroko raised a brow in reply.

"Who do you think I am?" Aomine almost smiled, then he realized that Tetsu had done it again. He'd lightened the weight of a situation where he was in danger in order not to burden the people around him. Seirin walked back in, ready to start the game, so Aomine promised himself that he would get Satsuki to look into this. No one was allowed to bully Tetsu, especially is his invisibility didn't work on crutches. In the meantime, he had a game to play.


	8. Chapter 8

Every time I write a chapter, I assume that this will be the chapter where everyone gives up on me. Quite miraculously, you all seem to still be hanging in there. I've found myself staring in open-mouthed surprise when people have favourited or followed after some chapters. Therefore, to those of you who favorited, followed, or reviewed, thank you. I am appreciative and incredulous.

* * *

Coach Harasawa was serving as the referee, which meant that Momoi was serving as both Too's coach and manager. She stood to the side of Too's bench with her clip board, entirely ready to analyze all of the players on the court. Her serious expression and intense gaze made her seem like an completely different person from the one who had been blushingly rubbing cream into her crush's shoulder only minutes earlier. Everyone assembled on court, then Coach Harasawa threw the ball into the air for tip off.

Aomine concentrated and sank into the zone as the ball reached its peak. A level where a player is able to play at 100% of their potential, the zone's limits were dependent on the player's limits. No one knew where Aomine's limits were, or if he had any, but he had been practicing again, and working out hard. Today he intended to find out how much he had improved.

Seconds after the ball had reached its peak, Seirin's basketall net swished and Aomine made the first basket of the game. There was a pause as everyone, including Kagami, took a moment to register what had just happened, then a buzz passed through the spectators.

"He's in the zone," someone murmured.

"This is just a practice match, right?" Someone else asked.

"I've never seen the zone before."

"Did they do something to piss him off?" Aomine let the questions swirl around him.

"Yo, Kagami, I thought you wanted to play," he taunted. Aomine was pleased to see a fierce smile break out on his rival's face, as the match continued. It wasn't until the last three minutes of the second quarter that Kagami was able to enter the zone. By that point, Too had a stunning 54 point lead, but Aomine was running out of stamina. To most people, it was amazing that Aomine had been able to stay in the zone for the first half. _Not good enough_ , he thought to himself. _I thought I would last longer._ Kagami was able to close the difference in points to 46 before the buzzer went. The rest of the match would depend on how long it took Aomine to recover and if Kagami could enter the zone again, since his timing had been unfortunate. The other members of each team barely touched the ball, and the gym had been silent except for the sounds of the game, as the reserve players watched in awe. Aomine had turned to return to the bench and get some water when Kise's unmistakable voice rang across the gym.

"Ah! I knew it, I'm late!" Aomine's head snapped around to the open gym door.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kise?"

"I came to see Kurokocchi!" The model announced excitedly, strolling in and sitting next to the bluenette. "Sorry I'm late, Kurokocchi," Kise said, giving Kuroko a careful hug. Aomine felt his cheek twitch in irritation.

"Wait, Tetsu, did you invite him?"

"No," Kuroko replied, unperturbed. That was good enough for Aomine.

"Get out!" Aomine scolded, standing in front of them. "Nobody wants a copycat watching a practice match!"

"You're mean, Aomine!" Then Kise's eyes sharpened. "Unless you're just scared?"

"Why would I be scared of you?" Aomine denied instantly. "You've never beaten me."

"Then there's no problem with me being here, right?" Wait, dammit. Kise had gotten him. Aomine had forgotten how under his flighty appearance, the blond was actually quite canny. Aomine's shoulders slumped, and he threw himself onto to bench next to Kuroko.

"Here's your water." Kuroko offered him his water bottle, and Aomine felt his spirits lift. _I am so whipped_ , he thought tiredly.

"Why are you so tired if you're leading by 46 points?" Kise asked, glancing between him and the scoreboard.

"Aomine was in the zone since tip off," Kuroko replied while Aomine drank thirstily.

"Oh?" Kise looked at Aomine intently. "That must have been something to see. I'm sorry I missed it."

"Why were you late?" Aomine had resigned himself to the blond's presence.

"I had a shoot," Kise answered easily. "You should come to my next shoot, Kurokocchi!" He turned enthusiastically to Kuroko.

"No, thanks, Kise-kun," Kuroko deadpanned, making Aomine snort.

"You still haven't given up on Tetsu coming with you?"

"Of course not! Kurokocchi is so attractive! He'd make a great model!" Kise's voice echoed in the suddenly silent gym.

"What did you just say?!" Kagami exclaimed, his head whipping around to look at them in shock. Everyone stared at the three of them. Before Kise could repeat himself, Kuroko jabbed him in the ribs, hard. Aomine hid his wince. He knew what that jab.

"It's nothing, Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied calmly, while Kise clutched his side and moaned. "Kise-kun misspoke." Turning to the rest of his audience, he added with a slight bow, "I apologize for the disruption." Looking at Kagami's open astonishment, Aomine wondered if the guy had functional eyes.

"Tetsu," he began, turning back to his former shadow, voicing his suspicion as it formed, "do you use misdirection on your own team?" Kise startled at the question. Kuroko seemed to consider his answer.

"It's good practice," he eventually confirmed. Aomine met Kise's eyes over Kuroko's head, and could see the same conflict he was feeling swirling in Kise's golden eyes. Should they be happy that Seirin - and Kagami - had never realized how attractive Kuroko was, or if should they be sad that he had gone to so much effort to hide it, even from the team he adored? Aomine rubbed a hand across his face, frustrated.

"Thinking too much makes my head hurt," he complained.

"That's because you don't practice it enough," Kuroko told him seriously. Aomine glared at him, ignoring Kise's laughter.

* * *

Kagami's eyes tried not to stare at his partner. Kise's words about Kuroko being attractive rattled around in his head. Certainly his sky blue hair and large blue eyes were noteworthy, and his skin was pale and flawless, but _attractive_? Kagami sighed, forcing the confusing thoughts from his head. Momoi-san, whose relationship to Kuroko had never been entirely clear to Kagami, stood beside him, and was clearly offering some advice to her players. Given the gap in their scores, Kagami didn't feel like Too needed the advice, but the diligence was clear.

Kagami's legs ached as he walked back onto the court, not precisely discouraged, but reminded of how much they depended on Kuroko as a team, and him in particular. It was strange to see Kuroko sitting with Aomine on Too's bench, even if he was holding Nigou. Kagami shifted his gaze to Aomine. No matter how many times he faced the guy, Kagami still couldn't believe his skills. He had been stunned to realize that Aomine had entered the zone from the beginning of the game. Entering the zone to win a high stakes game was one thing, but why had Aomine entered the zone for a practice match? Kagami had heard that Aomine could enter the zone at will, but he hadn't really _understood_ what that meant until today.

"Try not to loose, Aominecchi, Kagamicchi!" Kise cheered happily from his spot beside Kuroko.

"As if I'd loose!"

"You can't cheer for both of us!" Kagami protested at the same time as Aomine shouted. Kagami glanced at his rival. It was no surprise that Aomine was confident of his win; a 46 point gap was a staggering difference. The team was feeling both Kuroko's and Kiyoshi's absences, and while they were trying to keep their spirits up, the first half of the game had served as a brutal reminded of the power the ace of the Generation of Miracles wielded. Kagami vowed to make the second half different.

The game continued, and Kagami fought to close the gap. Unlike Aomine, he couldn't enter the zone at will, and if nothing else, this game showed him that was something he needed to learn. They couldn't face Too like this. Aomine had entered the zone three more times, but had been unable to sustain it the way he had in the first half. More exhausted than he had ever been, even after one of Riko's hell practices, Kagami lined up to bow out. They had lost with a 28 point difference, despite their best efforts. As the ace, Kagami felt the weight of that loss settle on his shoulders. He was drinking thirstily from his water bottle, when...

"You're thinking too hard," a voice said from beside him.

"What?! Kuroko..." His voice faltered as he found himself face to face with Nigou. "Get that monster away from me!"

"Don't worry, Nigou," Kuroko comforted the dog, completely ignoring Kagami. "Deep down Kagami loves you."

"What?! No, I don't!" Kuroko looked up to meet his eyes, and Kagami wavered, right up until Nigou barked. "Stay away!"

"Actually," Hyuga said, looking over, "how did you carry him with your crutch?" Which Kagami acknowledged was a valid question, as long as that creature was a safe distance away.

"You didn't see us?" Kuroko asked, as though anyone had paid attention to anything other than the game. After a beat, he added, "it was a good game. It's a loss you can be proud of." As encouragement went, it wasn't, but Kagami felt better regardless. Looking at the other members of the team, he thought they felt the same.

* * *

Kuroko had returned Nigou to Seirin with visible reluctance as part of an unnecessarily long farewell to Seirin, and Kise smiled to see the bond between the two. Kise knew that Kuroko considered himself to be of little value (thanks largely to his parents), and sincerely sympathized with those who felt the same, animal or human. When Kise had heard the story of how Kuroko had found and adopted Nigou, he hadn't really been surprised. Kuroko might not be able to see his own value, but he was able to treasure others so sincerely. Kise didn't, truthfully, understand that. He couldn't really remember a time when people hadn't wanted to be near him, with his good looks, sports skills, and intelligence.

No matter how stressful the day, Kise always felt better around Kurokocchi, even if he was simply sitting next to him. Today was no exception. The shoot had already been scheduled when Momoicchi told him about the practice match. Resigned to the fact that it would be too unprofessional to cancel at the last minute, he had worked hard to complete it as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he had been working with the same new model, as last time, Haruno-san, and she was not in a rush to leave him. Kise was beginning to cynically suspect that Haruno-san would simply put his hand down her shirt at some point, since he wasn't doing so on his own despite her blatant invitations. His desire to be with Kurokocchi had been sharpened by his distaste for the woman, and once the shoot had finished, he had sprinted to Too. Kise basked in Kurokocchi's presence, and let peace envelop him as they sat together, waiting for the players to shower and change.

"It feels like a date with Kurokocchi," Kise murmured happily. Kuroko turned to stare at him.

"It's not," Kuroko unhesitatingly assured him.

"So mean!" Kise complained, but in truth, he wasn't bothered. Kuroko was capable of getting rid of people he didn't want to deal with, both with his misdirection, and his blunt insights, so if he was serious about his objections, he wouldn't still be sitting beside Kise. "I can't wait until Kurokocchi comes to Kaijo!"

"That's months away, Kise-kun."

"I know," Kise replied, checking his impulse to wrap himself around Kuroko and snuggle. Despite his appearance, Kise had never been a snuggler until he fell for Kurokocchi. The girls he had dated had wanted a good-looking boyfriend, or to be able to say that they were dating a model, but those sorts of motives had never left Kise with the impulse to curl around them just to feel the warmth of their body. Unlike them, Kuroko had never wanted anything from him, except that he do his best and treat others well; Kise knew he could spend hours treasuring the feel of being wrapped up with Kurokocchi, if he ever had the opportunity.

"Kise-kun seems very exhausted," Kuroko observed. Kise glanced over with a tired smile.

"I'm having a tough time with a new model," Kise acknowledged, never one to hide things from Kurokocchi. "She really wants her career to take off, and she's willing to go out with me to get there."

"Girls have always been willing to date Kise-kun," Kuroko commented.

"Yeah," Kise admitted, "but never for the right reasons." Kuroko turned to look at him, and Kise continued. "They never like me for me."

"Then they are foolish," Kuroko said, patting Kise's back. "I think Kise-kun is someone worth liking." Kise knew his face was bright red, and sometimes Kise wondered if Kuroko said things like that because he knew they would embarrass his listeners.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise moaned, hiding his face in his hands. _If only you really meant that_ , he thought wistfully.


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, I think this is my first seriously controversial chapter. I'm even more nervous than usual posting it, but as tempting as it is to play it safe, I want to stay true to the story I have. I hope you like it.

(And again, thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, or favourited.)

* * *

"Momoi," Aomine asked, spotting her at last, "where have you been?"

"I made some honey lemons for the first years," she replied with satisfaction, making Kuroko, Kise, and Aomine stare at her. Aomine frowned. Satsuki had recently realized that her food was dangerous, so why...

"The first years who called Tetsu out?" Her smile widened maliciously. Obviously Aomine hadn't needed to tell her what had happened; she had worked it out, and dealt with it on her own. Her cooking was worse than any beating Aomine would have given out; Aomine would have felt bad for them if they had targeted anyone other than Tetsu.

"People called Kurokocchi out?" Kise asked, and to people who knew him, his anger was obvious.

"I'm alright," Kuroko assured the blond.

"I was going to take care of it," Aomine told Kise, "but it seems Satsuki already has." Her aura was simultaneously bright and threatening. Aomine idly wondered if the first years were still alive.

"Sorry I didn't say hi, Ki-chan," she added, turning to the model.

"Can you not call me that, Momoicchi?" He begged, for the thousandth time.

"Are you coming home with us, Satsuki?" She shook her head. Aomine felt bad for all the food she must be destroying in her efforts to learn how to cook, but was enjoying spending time alone with Kuroko too much to object. "Later, then, Satsuki."

"Please take care, Momoi-san." The way Kuroko said that, Aomine wasn't entirely sure whether he was telling her to take care going home, or whether he was worried about the food. If it was the food, Aomine understood.

"Bye Momoicchi!" Kise waved enthusiastically, and the three left the gym together. Aomine had gotten used to the pace Kuroko set using his crutch, and was aware that Kise had slowed down as well. By the time they got to the school gates, Aomine realized that there was no way he was going to be able to walk Tetsu back.

"Tetsu," his friend glanced up at him, "do you mind if we take the train, instead?"

"Did you injure yourself, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko's eyes reflected his concern, but Aomine was shaking his head before Kuroko had finished the question.

"No, I'm just tired." Kuroko's tension eased and he nodded.

"I don't mind."

"I could carry you, Aominecchi!" Kise offered with a glint in his eyes. Aomine choked.

"Like hell I'd let you carry me!" The embarrassment of being carried by Kise would haunt him for _decades_ if he was ever stupid enough to take the model up on his offer. "Why are you going home with us, anyways?"

"Eh?" Kise questioned innocently, "I came all the way over to see Kurokocchi, so of course I'm coming over!"

"All the way? We live in the same damn city!"

"It's a big city, though, Aominecchi."

"Don't just invite yourself over, Kise!"

"We're at the train station," Kuroko interrupted, and to Aomine's surprise, it was true. _Dealing with Kise is such a pain_ , Aomine thought tiredly. Since they walked to school, Aomine and Kuroko had to get in line to pay. Aomine stood behind Kuroko to make sure he didn't get jostled with his crutch. It would be great when Kuroko could walk normally again. Kise, on the other hand, had a pass, but was having trouble avoiding his fans. Being a tall blond model in Tokyo made Kise rather conspicuous, and seeing the fan girls trying to corner him made Aomine laugh. At least the model was good for something.

It was early evening, so the trains were packed with commuters. The three of them forced themselves onto a train, thankful they only had one stop to go. People pressed up against Aomine in the train, and he almost groaned. The heat multiplied in the small space, and human sweat made the train stink. The shower he had taken after the match seemed pointless now.

"Next time I'll carry you, Aominecchi." Kise muttered loudly enough for Aomine to hear, as people pulled out their phones to take photos of the model. Caught in this hell, Aomine thought he might actually take Kise up on that next time, as mortifying as that would be.

"How are you, Tetsu-" Aomine turned to his friend then noticed the look on his face. "Shit!" Kise's head swung down at Aomine's tone. They both knew the drill. It only took seconds for Aomine to find the hand that had been fondling his friend's ass. He grabbed it, hard. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my friend?" Aomine asked the man in a voice so furious that absolute silence rippled out in its wake. The only sound to be heard was the rattling of the train.

"Aomine-kun, please," Kuroko begged, but Aomine ignored him. Kise shifted to hold Kuroko against his front, protecting him with his body.

"You don't touch him," Aomine continued. "You don't touch _anyone_ without their permission." The man - some totally average looking salaryman - opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. It was possible that looking between them, he realized that either Aomine or Kise would shove their fist down his _throat_ if he said anything.

"We'll take you to the train station authorities," Kise's face reflected none of his usual good cheer, looking instead like it had been carved out of ice. Aomine thought he saw a camera flash, but it was gone before he could spot who had it.

By this point, everyone had turned to stare at the scene unfolding in front of them. Aomine knew how much Kuroko hated causing a disturbance, but there was no way they were just going to let this guy walk. It only took a couple of minutes for them to reach the next station, but the entire train had been frozen by the exchange, and the tension was so thick it could almost be cut. When the doors opened, Aomine wrenched the man's arm behind his back and frog marched him out in front of them. With his height, it was easy to spot a train station attendant.

"This guy molested my friend," Aomine said, uncaring of the stares they were getting. Kise had carefully kept an arm around Kuroko as they walked over, and the station attendant stared at him.

"Not me," Kise clarified, "him." And finally, the station master spotted Kuroko. Misdirection didn't really work when Kuroko couldn't move, which had always been the problem with public transit for him, but Kuroko was clearly using it to the max now, even with his crutch. It was an impressive display of his abilities, really. How had Aomine forgotten the dangers of public transit? Why hadn't Tetsu reminded him? _Because he's embarrassed, stupid_ , Aomine answered his own question.

"You were molested by this man?" The station attendant was clearly trying to pretend that have a guy as the victim was normal, which Aomine really appreciated. No need to make Kuroko feel worse than he already did. Kuroko obviously wanted to deny it, but his honest nature wouldn't let him.

"Yes."

The entire event had been brief, but recounting it took longer, and it was half an hour before they left the train station. Kuroko was always quiet, but Aomine knew this silence, and it was bad. Even knowing that Tetsu was upset with him, he couldn't regret his actions. The three of them kept silent until they were inside Kuroko's condo. They kicked their shoes off, and Kuroko hobbled into the living room with Kise and Aomine trailing in behind him.

"There was no need to make such a fuss," Kuroko accused turning to face them, clearly hurt.

"Yes there was!" Aomine protested, angrily.

"No, there wasn't," Kuroko denied.

"He was molesting you!" Aomine almost shouted.

"I'm a guy, so-"

"Kuroko," Kise interrupted, drawing their attention, "I'm a guy, too, but if someone I didn't want touching me, touched me, would you have a problem with that?" _Caught_ , Aomine thought, watching Tetsu's face. Apparently Kuroko's thoughts were obvious to Kise as well. "We feel the same way."

"But-" Kuroko faltered, "it's just me."

"It's not just you in our eyes," Kise said gravely. "It's our precious Kuroko." Seeing Kuroko start to deflate, Aomine reached out and pulled him into a hug.

"We were worried, stupid," he murmured into Kuroko's hair.

"Sorry," Kuroko mumbled after a slight hesitation.

"Me too!" Kise exclaimed, wrapping them both in his arms, and totally ruining the moment. Aomine was trying to pry Kise off them when Kuroko's phone rang. The hug broke up so Kuroko could pull his cell out of his pocket.

"Akashi-kun?" He answered.

"I heard you were molested on the train." Kuroko glanced at them, but Aomine and Kise both shook their heads. It hadn't really occurred to Aomine to contact Akashi about the incident, and judging from Kise's face, he hadn't thought of it, either.

"How does Akashi-kun know?" Kuroko asked. There was a chuckle on the other end.

"I know everything, Kuroko."

"Akashi-kun is being difficult again," Kuroko complained. Aomine and Kise shared a look. Akashi would have _killed_ them if they had spoken to him that way.

"Is that so?" The question was clearly rhetorical as Akashi continued immediately. "I'm glad you're not more upset, Kuroko."

"Aomine-kun and Kise-kun comforted me."

"That's good," Akashi said, in a voice which translated to 'of course they did.'

"Is Akashi-kun coming to visit this weekend?" Kuroko asked. Aomine knew eavesdropping wasn't polite, but Kuroko had answered the phone right in front of them, and it really was informative. Had Akashi come to Tokyo last weekend? He certainly hadn't bothered seeing Aomine, if that was the case.

"I'm afraid not," Akashi replied, sounding truly apologetic. "I've got some work this weekend, which really can't be rescheduled. I wanted to talk to Aomine and Kise privately, please give them the phone." None of them were surprised that Akashi knew Aomine and Kise were still with him. Kuroko gave Kise the phone then limped into the kitchen.

* * *

"You cook for Kurokocchi every night?" Kise asked quietly, after they got off the phone with Akashi. Akashi's disappointment in them had been obvious, even over the phone, and Kise knew the next time they saw him in person wasn't going to be fun. Aomine paused and glanced at Kise cautiously.

"What about it?" Aomine's voice was defensive.

"Lucky," Kise murmured with a smile, but he knew Aomine saw the seriousness in his eyes. "I want to cook for Kurokocchi, too."

"Please do," Kuroko said, popping out of nowhere. Both of them jumped. It had been a while since Kise had experienced that. Kise would have worried about how much he had heard, but was fairly certain that Kuroko would have defended them from Akahsi if he had heard that part.

"Kurokocchi wants to eat my cooking?" Kise repeated, setting the rest aside, and letting warmth fill him.

"I don't feel like miso soup," Kuroko explained.

"There's nothing wrong with miso soup, Tetsu," Aomine objected, looking slightly hurt.

"You sound like Akashi-kun," Kuroko told him seriously, but then added, "and we've had miso soup every day." Kise chuckled, and Aomine sent him a dark look.

"Are you honestly telling me you can cook?" Aomine objected. Kise snorted.

"I'm a model, Aominecchi, of course I can cook." And it was true. Modelling and basketball had made Kise truly _intense_ about the food he ate; no fast food or unhealthy snacks for him.

"This way, Kise-kun," Kuroko directed, hobbling off with almost visible enthusiasm. Aomine grumbled and headed for the TV.

"I could teach you to cook something other than miso soup," Kise offered softly, setting aside his hesitation. Aomine taking the time to come over and cook for Kurokocchi told Kise more than words would have that Aomine was, in fact, seriously interested in Kuroko. He had always hoped despite how close they were that Aomine was immune to Kuroko's charms, but supposed that was unlikely. Kise valued his friendship with Aomine and didn't want to ruin it, but Kuroko always came first to him. Akashi's words had been echoing in his head for weeks now, and he thought tonight might be the time to explore that idea a little more. Aomine paused and glanced at him, almost tentatively meeting his eyes. Kise nodded, and Aomine's shoulders relaxed as he headed into the kitchen first.

Kise was pleased to discover that there was a good selection of food in the fridge, which had to have been Akashi; Aomine and Kuroko would never have gotten such a wide variety of ingredients. He assigned Kuroko to sit down and cut the vegetables, while Aomine, who was familiar with the kitchen, took out the cooking utensils. Kise pulled out his phone, checking for recipes. They had enough food to feed the three of them, but given Aomine's appetite, they'd probably need to get groceries in the morning. Now what could he make from what was in the fridge?

It took an hour, even with the three of them working together, to prepare enough food for dinner. Kise had been nervous serving up, but the faint brightening of Kuroko's eyes as he ate made it all worthwhile. Aomine studied the dishes once he was done, as if he was reminding himself of how each one had been prepared, and Kise leaned back, pleased with how the evening was going.

"Kurokocchi," he said, drawing his friends' attention, "do you have a movie we could watch together?"

"I taped the NBA game yesterday," Kuroko offered. Kise nodded. They were all basketball idiots, so it was as good as anything. Aomine clearly didn't intend to leave yet, so the three of them moved to the living room. Kise settled on one side of the couch, trusting Aomine to sit on the other. Kuroko set the game up to play, then took a seat between them.

Aomine kept up a running commentary on the plays, but Kise simply bided his time, too nervous to focus on the game. Just after they started the second quarter, he shifted, laying his head in Kurokocchi's lap. Kuroko froze, and Kise could almost feel Aomine's glare.

"What are you doing?!" Kise kept his eyes shut in the face of Aomine's outrage.

"I'm cuddling with Kurokocchi," Kise replied, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice.

"Why, Kise-kun?" Kuroko asked seriously, not having moved.

"Kurokocchi's my favourite," Kise replied. He'd said the words before, but he had let Kuroko dismiss them then. Today was different. After a moment, Kuroko sighed.

"Alright." A hand began gently stroking his head, and Kise felt tears form as he relaxed into Kuroko's touch. Aomine hadn't done anything, so Kise spoke again.

"If Aominecchi is lonely, he should cuddle, too." There was a silence as the other two considered this.

"Do you mind, Tetsu?"

"...No." Peering through his lashes, Kise saw Aomine shift to wrap his arm around Kurokocchi. That was good enough, for tonight, Kise thought pleased.


	10. Chapter 10

I really appreciate not getting slammed for my last chapter. I hope that most of you, at least, are able to continue enjoying the story. For those of you who reviewed, followed and favourited after the last chapter, thank you. I was extra nervous posting that one. This one came together quickly, so I hope you like it.

 **Bold is for texts.**

* * *

Kuroko stood in front of the mirror and examined himself. His blue and white stripped shirt and grey pants made for an ordinary, if acceptable, outfit, and his hair was as tame as it was going to get today. He had been attending Too for five weeks now, and Momoi had finally asked him and Aomine to come to her house for dinner tonight. He was, frankly, terrified, but Momoi-san had been working hard for over a month preparing for this. _I'm a man_ , he told himself seriously, _I can't run away from dinner. Dinner's not that scary_ , he continued, but memories of honey lemons and other food atrocities swirled in his mind, giving lie to his reassurances. His phone rang, and seeing Akashi's name, Kuroko answered.

"Hello Akashi-kun," Kuroko greeted.

"Hello Kuroko." Kuroko frowned at the amusement in Akashi's voice. "I heard you're going to Momoi-san's place for dinner." _Well_ , Kuroko thought, _that explains it. Akashi is safely in Kyoto._

"Yes." Kuroko chose a neutral reply, unwilling to encourage Akashi.

"Have you packed antacids?" Kuroko frowned at the question.

"No."

"They're in the cabinet in your bathroom," Akashi told him, obviously expecting Kuroko to head right over and get some, now that Akashi had pointed them out. _Why does he know that?_ Kuroko thought tiredly.

"It's fine," Kuroko said firmly, "Momoi-san has been practicing for weeks." Akashi chuckled.

"It takes years to learn how to cook well."

"No, it doesn't," Kuroko objected.

"Being able to boil an egg does not leave you qualified to judge, Kuroko." Kuroko frowned at the phone.

"I won't need the antacids," Kuroko insisted.

"Well," Akashi sighed, "I expect Aomine is nearly at your door, so if you're certain you want to take the risk, it's your choice." Kuroko hesitated. Despite his initial reluctance, Kuroko had come to enjoy his daily phone calls with Akashi. He felt like he knew the redhead so much better than he had when they saw each other every day.

"I'm sorry I can't talk longer, Akashi-kun," Kuroko apologized sincerely.

"It's fine, Kuroko," Akashi assured him, speaking more gently. "I just wanted to catch you before you left."

"Thank you for your concern, Akashi-kun."

"Have a good evening, Kuroko."

Kuroko had barely hung up the phone when a text came in.

 **Kuroko, I heard you are going to Momoi-san's for dinner tonight.** Kuroko could almost hear Midorima's solemn tone in the words he wrote. **Please remember that your lucky item today is a bottle of antacids, and be sure to bring them with you. Oha-Asa is never wrong.**

Kuroko sighed, looking at the words. Could he really afford to ignore both warnings? Another beep alerted him to a second text.

 **Kuro-chin! I heard you're going to Momoi's for dinner. Don't go, it won't be yummy.**

 _Well_ , Kuroko thought, growing more nervous with each warning he received, _that's to the point_. A third beep was almost inevitable at the point. Kuroko opened the latest message with a sigh.

 **Kurokocchi! Are you really going to Momoicchi's for dinner? Momoicchi is great, but you know that cooking isn't really her thing, right? I'll buy you dinner instead! Also, you're getting your cast off in a week, right? Let's get everyone together and go out! Where would you like to go? What time works for you? How is your leg?**

Kise's text went on endlessly, and Kuroko skimmed it, then shook his head, exasperated. He was tempted to suggest that Kise join them, but that seemed a little harsh, so instead he sent a quick _no thank you_ to Kise, hoping to forestall the model from showing up at the door and trying to haul Kuroko off. The idea of celebrating getting the cast off was a good one (Kuroko was more than ready to get rid of it), but he'd wait until next week to tell Kise.

Ever since That Night, Kise had acted like nothing had changed. Three weeks had passed since That Night, and Kuroko was only growing more confused as time went on. In truth, Kuroko had been in a bit of a daze, ever since Kise had used his lap as a pillow. What's going on? He wondered, grabbing his keys and deftly limping into the foyer. Kuroko knew something had changed between the three of them that night, he just didn't know what, or why. Why had Kise done that? Kuroko was sure that he had felt tears fall on his lap once he had started stroking Kise's head. Had it meant that much to him? He had said he wanted to cuddle because Kuroko was his favourite, but he had called Kuroko his favourite hundreds of times. Had it meant it, all along? If that was the case, how had Kuroko missed that all this time? What about Aomine? What was he thinking? Why had he wrapped his arm around Kuroko? Aomine had been acting _really_ awkward around him since then (which was honestly getting annoying) and Kuroko was considering confronting him about it. He didn't want to push either of them for answers, respecting the fact that some things were hard to talk about, but enough was enough. Where had his vaunted observational skills gone? Kuroko sighed, frustrated. _Basketball is so much simpler_ , he thought.

Kuroko took one last look in the mirror. _Good enough_ , he decided, heading to the door. Part way there, Kuroko paused, then turned around to get the antacids. Just in case.

* * *

"I wonder what Tetsu-kun thinks," Momoi pondered aloud, cleaning up after dinner while Aomine lounged in the doorway. Kuroko had gone to the washroom, and Aomine sincerely hoped that he wasn't throwing up. The meal had been a huge improvement for Momoi, but it hadn't precisely been good. Ok, it hadn't been good by any standard, but it couldn't quite be called poison anymore. Aomine felt fine, but he had a tough stomach; Kuroko's constitution was considerably more delicate.

"About your cooking?" Momoi shook her head, restlessly. "What do you mean, then?" Aomine asked, cautiously curious. Momoi always knew what people were thinking, but surely she hadn't found out about... "Alright, I'll confess," The words burst out of Aomine's mouth almost coming on top of his previous question. He'd really wanted to talk to Momoi about what had happened between him, Kuroko, and Kise for weeks, but hadn't known how to bring it up. It was all so awkward. Momoi must have heard something in his tone, because she put down the dish she had been washing, and turned to look at him.

"Are you finally going to tell me why you've been so skittish around Tetsu-kun the last few weeks?"

"I'm not skittish!" Aomine protested. That made him sound like a bunny or something, not one of the most aggressive high school basketball players in the country. Momoi raised an eyebrow at him.

"What happened?" Aomine knew her well enough to see the concern in her gaze, even though she was smiling at him.

"I, uh," he began, uncharacteristically hesitant. "Look, it's all Kise's fault," he blurted out. Momoi just stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. "You remember after the practice game with Seirin how Tetsu, Kise, and I all went off together?" At her nod, he continued. "I was tired, so we took the train, and Tetsu got, well, you know." Again she nodded, but she let the smile slide off her face, like a mask that no longer fit. "So, he and I argued when we got back to his place, because he hadn't wanted us to make a fuss."

"Because he's a guy," Momoi murmured the oft repeated phrase sadly. "I hate his mother." Aomine nodded, not feeling any need to defend the bitch.

"I hugged him, and and Kise hugged us, then Akashi called... After that Kise made dinner - I mean Tetsu and I helped, but it was really Kise -"

"Dani-chan," Momoi interrupted gently, "you're rambling." He closed his mouth, then sighed. He took a moment to sort through what he actually needed to tell Satsuki in order for her to understand.

"The three of us were watching an NBA game together and, uh-" Aomine could feel himself blush. "Kise put his head down on Kuroko's lap." Momoi's brows rose in surprise, but she didn't say anything, perhaps realizing that if he did not get this out now, he might not be able to later. "Kise suggested that I cuddle, too, so I put my arm around Tetsu." Aomine could feel his face flaming after the explanation. "I asked for permission first, but..."

"Did you confess?"

"No."

"So Tetsu-kun is probably pretty perplexed right now," Momoi summarized with a small sigh. "For a pervert, you're being really innocent about this, Dai-chan." Aomine opened his mouth to protest, the exhaled wearily.

"It's different when it's Tetsu." Momoi smiled gently at him.

"I know." They stood in silence for a moment before Aomine broke it.

"So... are you angry?" She seemed surprised by his question.

"I'm not angry, but I do feel badly for Tetsu-kun."

"...because we didn't confess?"

"Sort of," she replied thoughtfully. "Tetsu-kin is kind, so I don't believe that he would ever lead someone on if they had no chance with him, but... I'm not sure he knows who he likes."

"You don't think _he_ knows who he likes?" He repeated, staring at her slightly incredulous. After all Aomine's stress about confessing to Tetsu, Momoi thought that he wouldn't be able to answer? She nodded, as though hearing the words from his mouth transmuted them from theory into certainty.

"Yes. He knows I like him, but he's never addressed it; he's never refused me, and he's never encouraged me."

"You think he's... confused? I don't know of any girls close to him, except you, Satsuki, and that coach of his... Rido."

"Riko," Momoi corrected. "It's true that she and I are the only girls close to Tetsu-kun, but it's not just girls who are interested in him, is it?" She met his eyes squarely.

"Given what he's been through, I can't imagine he'd be ok with a guy, Satsuki." Aomine's voice was laced with melancholy.

"He gave you permission to hold him, didn't he?" Momoi moved forwards, as though looking for a way to comfort him.

"Who's side are you on, Satsuki?" Aomine asked, forcing lightness into his tone.

"Tetsu-kun's," she replied unhesitatingly. Aomine's mouth curved into a smile. Good answer, he thought.

* * *

 _Well_ , Kuroko thought to himself, _this is awkward_. He had known that Aomine-kun and Momoi-San had gotten used to him on crutches, but not to this point. He stood behind Aomine wondering how he could make his presence known, without completely embarrassing the two of them. He had gone to the bathroom to take two antacids (which he was _not_ going to tell Akashi) and then had followed his friends' voices to the kitchen. Their conversation had certainly been illuminating, but Momoi-san was right; Kuroko wasn't sure if he had ever experienced love. His friends had always been his world, and they were all different and precious to him. Could he really say he liked one better than the other?

Finding out the Aomine was romantically interested in him came as a shock, but it did explain why he had wrapped his arm around Kuroko That Night. Was Aomine right that he couldn't like a guy because of what had happened? Kuroko frowned, irritated by the thought. Was he going to let his past dictate his future? Would he turn away from someone who loved him because of something someone else did? Kuroko didn't want to think of himself as someone that weak. He cleared his throat, watching as they both jumped and turned to face him.

"Gah! Tetsu, don't do that!"

"Tetsu-kun!"

"Aomine-kun, Momoi-san," he greeted with a slight bow, knowing that at a different time he would have found their shrieks entertaining, "I can't answer your feelings yet, but..." he took a deep breath, "could you give me time to think about it?" Aomine and Momoi both blushed deeply, realizing that he must have heard a substantial part of their conversation.

"Gah, Tetsu, I can't believe you found out like that," Aomine groaned, clearly embarrassed.

"We understand," Momoi hurried to assure him. "I had intended to seriously confess before you went to Shutoku, but, well," she tried to smile at him, "now you know."

"I hadn't meant to eavesdrop," Kuroko apologized. Aomine scrubbed his hands over his face, then shook his head, looking almost weary.

"We know, Tetsu. If we'd wanted to keep this private, we should have talked somewhere else."

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko began tentatively, "I don't know if I can like guys," and boy was Aomine's face red hearing that, "but I don't want other people's actions to dictate how I feel about you." He paused then confessed, with a blush covering his cheeks, "cuddling with you and Kise-kun... felt really nice."


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry this is late; I really struggled with it. I hope you enjoy it, regardless.

* * *

Kuroko could walk!

Well, sort of. After six full weeks in a cast, his leg had grown weak, and it felt like it was going to give out with every step. He had been doing gentle weight bearing exercises under Momoi's diligent guidance, but that wasn't the same as supporting his full body weight. The doctor assured him that, given how strong it had been when he broke it, it would only take a few days to feel steady again. Kuroko hoped that was true; as much as he loved reading, he was desperate to play basketball again.

"Why are all of you here?" He asked, glancing from Akashi, to Momoi, to Midorima. His eyes paused briefly on Midorima, or, more accurately, the wedding veil cascading down from his friend's hand: apparently today's lucky item for cancers. Kuroko wondered how a wedding veil could possibly be of use to a high school boy, but since he had been saved by aquarius' antacids last week, Kuroko felt no need to delve into astrological mysteries. Knowing that his lucky items were important to Midorima, Kuroko had never commented on them regardless, unlike some of the others. Looking between them, Kuroko felt it was almost inevitable that they were there with him, despite his question. He had never been to the hospital alone, after all. Akashi smiled innocently at the inquiry.

"We wanted to hear what the doctor said."

"You skipped school," Kuroko accused the redhead, because really there was no other way he could have made it to Tokyo in time for the appointment.

"It was for a good cause."

"The student council president shouldn't skip school," Kuroko insisted, slightly irritated by Akashi's visible amusement.

"Momoi-san, do you need to make any alterations to your rehabilitation plan for Kuroko?" Akashi asked the pinkette, letting Kuroko's comment slide. Momoi shook her head, clearly satisfied.

"No, none."

"Well, done," Akashi approved warmly. "I've received some new data for the proposed buyout. If you have time after dinner, we can talk through the details." Momoi nodded happily.

"Certainly! I can-"

"Momoi-san is working for Akashi?" Midorima interrupted Momoi. Neither Midorima nor Kuroko would have interrupted Akashi; they liked living, after all. Interrupting Momoi, while impolite, was conceivable. Kuroko was relieved to know that he was not the only one stunned by this news. He spoke to Akashi and Momoi every day. How had he not known about this?

"Yes. Momoi-san is a skilled information analyst, so I've started sending her work. It is helping reduce my workload, as well as providing income, work experience, and references for Momoi-san."

"Yes, it has been a great opportunity for me," Momoi agreed cheerfully. "Maybe I should work for Akashi-kun in the future."

"That's certainly a possibility," Akashi agreed amiably. Kuroko eyed him in surprise. What is he planning?

"Akashi-kun looks after us too much," Kuroko decided, ignoring Akashi's chuckle. "And having three people come to a check-up is embarrassing," he grumbled, self-conscious about the way people were staring at their group as they walked down the halls. Akashi's overwhelming presence, Momoi's beauty, and Midorima's green hair and wedding veil all served to draw attention to them. Kuroko appreciated the company, but he wasn't some fainting maiden in need of rescuing.

"Momoi-san and Midorima will be assisting in your rehabilitation, so it was important for them to hear what the doctor said." Kuroko noticed that Akashi felt no need to justify his own presence at the appointment. Kuroko already knew that Momoi had detailed plans for him, but he glanced at Midorima curious about what his part in the recovery would be. Midorima pushed his glasses up, embarrassed.

"It would be irresponsible of me not to assist in your rehabilitation," he said, looking away.

"Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, and Murasakibara-kun won't be assisting in my recovery," Kuroko replied without hesitation.

"Getting those idiots involved would do more harm than good," Midorima scoffed, which wasn't the sort of reply Kuroko could argue with; it was true.

"You won't be fully healed by the time you transfer to Shutoku," Momoi reminded Kuroko seriously, "so it's important for Midorin to know what is going on so he can monitor your condition."

"It's not like I'm worried, or anything," the greenette assured him. "It would just be a nuisance if you were to reinjure yourself." Akashi chuckled.

"You'll be at Shutoku for the end of the Interhigh tournament," Akashi pointed out. "It would be easy for you to overdo it, so Midorima will monitor you." Again, Akashi was working under the strange assumption that Kuroko would be playing in official matches, and Momoi and Midorima seemed to agree. What was Kuroko missing?

"I understand," Kuroko acknowledged, setting that puzzle aside for another day. Bowing to Midorima, he added, "I'll be in your care."

"I want to be a doctor," Midorima declared. "This will help me study."

"I see," Kuroko accepted, "then I'm thankful I can be of use to Midorima-kun."

"It was quite fortunate the way the draw worked out," Akashi commented. "Having Momoi-san and Midorima look after you while you recover is far better than if you had been with Murasakibara, Aomine, or Kise."

"What about if I had been with Akashi-kun?" Kuroko questioned.

"I would have taken good care of you, if I had won."

"I am not a prize in a draw," Kuroko told Akashi, because he wasn't sure that was clear to the redhead. Then he frowned, finally noticing the way Akashi and Midorima were hovering on either side of him.

"I can walk," Kuroko told them firmly.

"Indulge us," Akashi replied mildly, causing Kuroko to pout slightly. He had been prepared to insist that he could walk fine, and didn't need help, but this reply totally undercut that argument. How could he protest now without sounding completely ungrateful? Kuroko gave Akashi the stink eye, just to make sure his friend knew what he thought of such sneaky tactics; Akashi simply smiled in reply.

"Akashi-kun is too smiley these days," Kuroko grumbled.

"Would you like me to be miserable?" His friend inquired, entirely unperturbed. Kuroko glowered. No one except his friends would have identified the slight crease in his lips as a glower, but for him, it was a major display of emotion.

"I've just texted Ki-chan to let him know that we're heading to the restaurant," Momoi informed them, shifting the conversation as they walked out of the hospital. Kuroko had decided to go along with Kise's idea of celebrating his recovery, and had been somewhat astounded to find out that not only Akashi, but Murasakibara, would be coming to town for it. Apparently they were also staying with him for the weekend; Kuroko was still unclear on when he had agreed to that.

* * *

Muraskibara glanced around the restaurant, having just been dropped off by the taxi. He carried one overnight bag, and one bag of snacks that was, sadly, nearly empty. Spotting his friends in the corner, he wandered over.

"Hello," he greeted, reaching out to ruffle Kuroko's hair before taking the only available seat at the table. Surprisingly enough, it was directly to Kuroko's right. The seats beside Kuroko were always coveted; why was one available today?

"Yo," Aomine grunted, barely glancing up from his assiduous survey of the food in front of him.

"Mu-kun!" Momoi beamed from the corner, turning to face Murasakibara.

"Hello, Murasakibara," Midorima replied from Kuroko's left.

"Hi, Murasakibaracchi!" Kise grinned at him, turning away long enough for Aomine to steal the beef off his plate. Predictably, a squabble broke out between them when Kise noticed what had happened.

"I am not a dog, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko scolded seriously, ignoring the antics across the table form him.

"But I like petting Kuro-chin," Murasakibara complained.

"Why?" Kuroko asked in exasperation.

"Because your hair is so soft," Murasakibara answered. "I don't know anything else that soft." The blush that covered Kuroko's cheeks at those words halted all activity at the table.

"Wah! Kurokocchi looks so cute!" Kise gushed. Murasakibara was certain the blond would have tried to hug the bluenette if not for the table in the way. Aomine seemed to be flushed, but with his tan it was hard to tell for sure.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi squealed, blushing deeply. Murasakibara thought he saw Akashi snap a photo on his phone, but kept his mouth shut about it. Aka-chin was still Aka-chin, after all.

"It can't be that soft," Midorima denied.

"It is!" Murasakibara insisted before Kuroko could reply. Midorima scowled. "Pet it yourself and see."

"I am not a dog, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko repeated sternly.

"I don't think Kuro-chin is a dog," Murasakibara replied, "I just like touching you. You should try, Mido-chin." Out of all the people at the table, Midorima was now sporting the deepest blush. "Your face is very red," Murasakibara told him, mildly concerned. There was a pause, and then Midorima spoke.

"Do you mind, Kuroko? It's not that I want to touch your hair, but there's no way it's that soft." Murasakibara stared. He really couldn't figure out why Midorima didn't just say that he was curious and wanted to pet Kuroko, too? Kuroko glanced around the table then sighed quietly.

"Just once." Midorima nodded, and tentatively reached out. His touch was almost reverent as it slid through Kuroko's hair. After a few silent moments, Akashi coughed, and Midorima withdrew his hand, clearly startled.

"It is... very soft," the tsundere acknowledged. His face now looked almost painfully red.

"Is Mido-chin alright?" Murasakibara asked with concern. Akashi chuckled.

"He's fine, Murasakibara. How was your trip?" Akashi turned the conversation away from a blushing Midorima and Kuroko.

"It was fine. Thank you for buying me the train ticket."

"It was no problem," Akashi assured him. Slowly the conversations restarted, and Murasakibara settled in for dinner.

* * *

Dinner was long and lively. The food was good, but the company was better. Kise had forgotten what it was like with these friends; he enjoyed Kaijo, but it wasn't the same. Kise was disappointed that he had to leave first, but with practice in the morning, and a photo shoot in the afternoon, he needed a full night's sleep.

"I've gotta go," he said, sliding off the end of the booth. "It was great seeing everyone again." He hesitated then leaned across Murasakibara to hug Kuroko. It was awkward, but worth it. "Take care, Kurokocchi."

"I'm heading out now, too," Aomine muttered, getting up as well, to Kise's surprise. "Midorima, could you walk Satsuki home?"

"Dai-chan! I don't need a babysitter!" Momoi protested.

"I was going in that direction, anyway," Midorima replied, pushing his glasses up, "I wouldn't mind some company."

"Alright, later then." Aomine waved casually then left with Kise. The others began gathering their things up, choosing to leave as well. Kise and Aomine walked in silence for a few minutes, with only the noise of the passing traffic, before Aomine finally spoke. "Tetsu knows I like him." Kise's smile froze on his face, and he almost missed a step after hearing that.

"What did he say?" The words were hard to force out.

"...That he liked cuddling with you and me." A weight was lifted from Kise's shoulders at the response, and gentle smile graced his lips. "And that he can't answer Satsuki and me now."

"That's great." Aomine seemed to frown at the response.

"What are you planning, Kise?" It was a reasonable question, but Kise walked almost a block before answering with another question.

"What does Kuroko mean to you, Aomine?" Kise gave Aomine time to answer; he knew the question would be hard for his brash friend.

"He's my best friend... and I like him." It was difficult to tell in the dark, but Kise would have bet that Aomine was blushing.

"I love Kuroko." Kise spoke quietly into the darkness as they crossed through a park, pleased that Aomine didn't comment on that. "I used to hate that you were his light," he added. "I was so jealous. I thought that if I could beat you he'd start paying attention to me."

"Tetsu's not like that."

"I know," Kise admitted, "but you were always so close to him. I didn't understand when I joined the first string why everyone treated him differently, but once I did... I was lost. I'm surrounded by beautiful models, and all I want is Kuroko."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Why do you think Akashi had us draw lots for Kuroko?"

"Can you stop answering with a question? It's annoying." When Kise didn't say anything, Aomine sighed. "To avoid a fight?"

"When has Akashi ever worried about that?" Kise barely paused before adding, "I think he knows that everyone likes Kuroko, and wants to see if we can share." He waited for the words to register.

"Share? Wait, how did you get that out of that?... You can't mean... That can't be..." Aomine floundered for a response.

"You, me, and Momoi have all admitted it, right?" At Aomine's bemused nod, Kise continued. "Were you watching Midorima and Murasakibara with Kuroko tonight?"

"...I suppose." Aomine relented. "That's some crazy shit, though."

"If you'd like to give up on him-"

"What? Like hell I am!"

"Then if he can't choose, let's not make him," Kise had been thinking a lot of how he could be with Kuroko and suspected that this might be his best bet. "Aominecchi," Kise added quietly Into the night, "there aren't any people in the world I would rather share Kurokocchi with than you guys."

"..me, too," Aomine acknowledged reluctantly as they parted ways.


	12. Chapter 12

Wow, I can't believe I have more than one hundred followers. I've been watching that number inch up a little incredulously. Thank you so much for the support, and for the reviews (reviews make me smile).

* * *

"I don't have any bubblegum flavoured toothpaste, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko stated seriously.

"But I forgot mine, Kuro-chin," Murasakibara pouted down at him. Akashi was amusedly watching the proceedings from his place on the sofa. "Hmm. What flavour does Kuro-chin have?"

"Vanilla." Murasakibara took a minute to consider the merits of vanilla flavoured toothpaste before nodding his agreement.

"Ok, vanilla is good."

"Of course it is." Crisis resolved, they could now continue to preparing bed. The two wandered into the bathroom. "Where are the two of you going to sleep?" Kuroko asked, before beginning to brush his teeth. Murasakibara looked at Akashi quizzically from the door with a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Murasakibara will sleep on the guest bed, and I will sleep on the sofa." Kuroko came to the doorway and frowned at him, obviously intending to protest. Akashi simply waited for Kuroko to finish brushing his teeth.

"You can have my bed, Akashi-kun," Kuroko inevitably offered.

"You're recovering," Akashi replied. "You need proper sleep."

"But-" Kuroko looked torn. Akashi's argument was valid, but Kuroko obviously still felt awkward about owing Akashi.

"I have a condo nearby, Kuroko. If I find I can't sleep on the couch, I'll go there." Kuroko's eyes narrowed very slightly in suspicion.

"How nearby?"

 _In the same building_. Akashi didn't say it. "Near enough." Kuroko finally relented with a sigh.

"Alright, let's go to bed."

Akashi got his own teeth brushed, then accepted the pillow and blanket Kuroko had placed on the sofa, no doubt from his own bed. _We'll work on this_ , he thought with a sigh, not wanting Kuroko's sense of debt to divide them. Akashi sat on the sofa, pulling the covers up around him, taking in Kuroko's scent. He let his thoughts drift, not yet ready to sleep.

The appointment at the hospital had gone well. Kuroko's prognosis was good, and Momoi had already sent Akashi her full recovery plan for Kuroko. It was everything one would expect Momoi to come up with for the guy she loved. Akashi was pleased that everything was progressing as smoothly as it could, under the circumstances; Kuroko's fragile constitution had been a source of concern for him. Dinner had been noisy, and the part of him that was his father's son had been mortified. He chose to ignore it.

"Are you still awake?" Kuroko's voice floated softly through the darkness. Some light from the street streaming into the room through a crack in the blinds was the only thing that saved them from total obscurity.

"Yes," Akashi murmured in reply.

"Can I sit with you?" Akashi nodded, shifting over to make room for him.

"Is Murasakibara asleep?" Kuroko's nod could just be made out in the half-light.

"How do you fall asleep that quickly?" He mused.

"Children do," Akashi told him. "It's because we think too much that we don't."

"That's not a problem a lot of people in our group have, Akashi-kun." Akashi chuckled softly at Kuroko's wry remark. He had never understood how people missed Kuroko's blunt sense of humour.

"That's true. Speaking of which, how are you doing tutoring Aomine?"

"He's being surprisingly diligent," Kuroko admitted. "Wakamatsu-senpai accused me of turning him into a model student."

"I'm not certain anyone could turn Aomine into a model student." Akashi was entertained by the thought.

"I think it's relative."

"Possibly," Akashi acknowledged.

"It's nice having everyone together again." Kuroko said with a contented sigh after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, it is," Akashi agreed.

"It almost makes me want to go back," Kuroko confessed, his tone nearly apologetic.

"We can't go back," Akashi replied, and wasn't that a painful lesson? "We can only go forward."

"I know," Kuroko sighed.

"Are you planning on telling me that Aomine and Momoi-san confessed?"

"They didn't confess," Kuroko corrected.

"Oh?"

"I walked in on them talking about liking me."

"Well, that would have been awkward." The more Akashi considered the situation, the more his amusement grew. He was fairly certain the bluenette was aware of his response.

"It was." Akashi waited for Kuroko to find the words. "Did you know?"

"I've always known," Akashi spoke gently, "but Aomine went through a very difficult period of denial, and, I think in her own way, Momoi was waiting for him."

"They really do everything together, don't they?" Kuroko sighed. "Why was Aomine in denial?"

"Do you think it's easy to be gay?" Akashi asked rhetorically. "And his father is a policeman. They aren't always the most liberal thinkers."

"You think Aomine's father would have difficulty accepting that his son was dating a guy?" Kuroko sounded astonished by the prospect.

"I don't know, but I think that's between Aomine and his father," Akashi answered firmly. "If he didn't bring that up himself, he probably doesn't want you to take that into consideration."

"I find that very difficult to imagine," Kuroko confessed. _You would_ , Akashi thought in resignation. _It's as far from your parents attitudes as it is possible to be_. "What does Akashi-kun think I should do?" It was clear from Kuroko's tone of voice that this was a shift in topics.

"About your parents?" Akashi specified, just to be sure.

"Yes."

"I think you should charge them," Akashi said, knowing that Kuroko would refuse, again. "Barring that, I think you should never speak to them again."

"I don't know if I can give up on them," Kuroko confessed. "I don't know if I can even want to."

"They don't deserve you."

"They never wanted me," Kuroko admitted, as though Akashi didn't already know. "I was a mistake, and when they found out, their families forced them to marry. It's all my fault."

"No child is responsible for their birth," Akashi chided. "Not even you. And your grandparents might have pressured your parents to get married, but they couldn't have forced them to. It's not legal."

"It's hard to stand up to pressure."

"You do," Akashi responded unhesitatingly. "You stand up to bullies all the time. You never let other people's opinions dictate what's right to you. You're the bravest person I know." Kuroko shifted, and Akashi was fairly certain that his friend was hiding a blush.

"Akashi-kun says the most embarrassing things," Kuroko complained, then added softly, "but thank you." They sat in silence for a while. "How are things with your father?"

"The same," Akashi finally replied, "or close to. I'm planning to be more independent, but for the moment, I am doing more work for him, and preparing for university."

"We're only in second year," Kuroko protested. "You shouldn't have to worry about any of that yet." Akashi chuckled, but knew the sound was hollow.

"I'll be returning to Tokyo to attend Toudai," Akashi told Kuroko confidently, "and I'm investing my own money to be independent as soon as possible. I don't want to live my life in the golden shackles my father has fashioned for me."

"That's why you've hired Momoi-san?" Kuroko questioned

"In part," Akashi agreed. "I need to start finding people who will be loyal to me, not my father."

"I think Akashi-kun's father puts too much pressure on him." Kuroko eventually commented.

"He's never been a particularly good father," Akashi acknowledged, "but as you've said, we don't get another set of parents if things don't work out with the first set." Kuroko had made the comment during one of their initial arguments about his parents. "Besides, how old were you when you learned to boil an egg?"

"Five." Kuroko's voice made it clear that he knew Akashi wouldn't like the answer.

"I think a child learning to cook for himself because his parents can't be bothered to feed him also puts a lot of pressure on a child."

"It's because I'm a bother-"

"You aren't a bother, Kuroko. You always try to handle things on your own, even when we want to help you. To the people who cherish you, you're never a bother."

"But Akashi-kun has done so much for me, and-"

"I wanted to do it, Kuroko," Akashi interrupted the bluenette again. He hated hearing Kuroko speak about himself like that. "You're always on about the importance of teamwork, but you try to handle everything in your life on your own. Teamwork isn't just important in basketball, it's important in life." Akashi knew that Kuroko understood that intellectually; he was just too afraid of people leaving him because he was demanding, to ask anyone for anything. "You know that Kise calls you when he's stressed, right?" Kuroko hummed in response. "Have you ever considered how happy it would make him if you called him when you were stressed?" There was pause as Kuroko considered the prospect, then giggled. Akashi treasured the rare sound.

* * *

 _When basketball idiots gather, it is inevitable that basketball occurs_ , Midorima thought in exasperation, choosing not to dwell on why he was standing casually dressed in the middle of a street basketball court with the rest of the Generation of Miracles. It was early evening, and Midorima had been trying to forget the feeling of Kuroko's silken hair sliding through his fingers when Akashi's text had come in. It had not been a productive day for the greenette, much to his frustration.

"Kurokocchi can't play much yet, right?" Kise asked, glancing around curiously. "How are we going to play three-on-three?" Although the six of them, and Momoi, had gathered, Kise was correct. Considering Kuroko's injury, they needed one more player.

"Oi! Akashi!" A voice called out as a familiar redhead approached the group. Everyone except Akashi and Kuroko froze. Midorima was certain that everyone was thinking the same thing he was: _You_ don't _speak to Akashi like that_. "What do you mean, I'm summoned?"

"We're about to play streetball, and are short a player," Akashi replied with a disturbing smile. Midorima tried not to fidget. "I thought a basketball idiot like you might want to join us." Anyone with functional eyes would have seen the way Kagami lit up at those words.

"Streetball? Awesome! I'm in!" Then he glanced around. "Wait, where's Kuroko?"

"Hello, Kagami-kun," Kuroko greeted Seirin's ace, causing him to leap. Midorima hid his smile, but the others weren't as subtle.

"Aha, I can't believe you fell for that," Aomine scoffed, laughing.

"You aren't used to Kurokocchi, yet?" Kise's words were neutral, but he was grinning.

"You do that on purpose, don't you?" Kagami glowered at them all, but addressed Kuroko.

"I don't know what you mean," Kuroko replied, far too innocently. Midorima had always suspected that Kuroko's sudden appearances were at least in part deliberate, and was a little horrified to find out that Kagami had the same suspicion. Kagami exhaled, as if he had lost this fight with Kuroko before.

"Wait, there are six of you already, why do you need an extra?" Kagami realized.

"Because Tetsu only got his cast off yesterday and isn't allowed to play much, Bakagami," Aomine replied sarcastically.

"Don't call me Bakagami!"

"Why not? It suits you."

"If the two of you are finished," Akashi cut in, in a tone which clearly said _you had better be_ , "I'd like to start. We'll play a full length game-"

"Akashi, are you serious?" Aomine interrupted. "We'll die."

"It'll be good practice," Akashi replied, unperturbed. "Aomine, Murasakibara, and Midorima are on one team, Kise, Kagami, and I are on the other. Kuroko, you will play for only one minute each quarter, and you will alternate teams." Kuroko's expression didn't change hearing the restrictions, and Midorima wondered if he and Akashi had discussed it before coming to the streetball court.

"Since we don't have any pocky, how do we decide who gets Kuro-chin first, Aka-chin?" Kagami was, predictably, mystified by the reference, but the others chuckled. Kuroko frowned at them, but Midorima was reasonably certain that the frown wasn't sincere.

"We flip a coin," Akashi replied. "May I borrow this, Midorima?" Akashi asked, indicating the one yen coin Midorima was holding: cancers' lucky item for the day. Midorima nodded. "Call it, Midorima," Akashi said, spinning the coin into the air.

"One," Midorima chose, trusting Oha Asa. Akashi showed everyone the coin.

"One. You start with Kuroko." Midorima kept his pleasure to himself; he had really missed playing with Kuroko. As good as Takao's passes were (and they were _excellent_ ), they wren't Kuroko's. The seven of them began warming up, with Momoi hovering devotedly by Kuroko. After ten minutes, Akashi indicated that the game should begin.

It was a fast paced game from the start: almost shockingly so. Aomine and Kise were in the zone from the start, and Kagami entered the zone at the beginning of the second quarter. Murasakibara tied his hair up before going on the court, and Akashi was clearly coordinating his team flawlessly. That's why he went on the team with Kagami, Midorima realized. He had thought it odd to be on the same team as Murasakibara, since they both played defence, but Akashi's tactic was now clear. Except for Kuroko, none of them had played with Kagami before, so their coordination with him was the worst. It surprised Midorima how easily he coordinated with his former teammates; he still knew without looking where they would be. With the game being three-on-three, they were forced to play more than their usual positions; it was excellent practice, especially with such tough competition.

By half-time, all of them were panting. Midorima was thankful when Momoi produced additional water bottles for them, since he hadn't anticipated drinking so much. Even when Kuroko came out on the court, the game didn't really slow; the idiots were in too much of a basketball induced haze to remember that their bluenette was recovering. Most of them had practiced earlier in the day, and this match on top of that really pushed their limits. Seeing Momoi and Akashi examine Kuroko, Midorima went over. Not that he was worried or anything. Midorima was a little surprised looking around to realize that they had drawn a fairly large crowd. It looked like a couple of people may even have been recording the game. Midorima almost never played outside, so he felt a little naive for not having realized that people might notice their game.

Momoi pronounced Kuroko fit to play, so the game continued. Murasakibara and Midorima's defence negated some of the awesome offensive power on the other side, but the pressure was intense, and the match was close. One turnover followed another as no one gave ground. Momoi blew the final whistle. Aomine, Murasakibara, and Midorima lost 75 points to Kise, Kagami, and Akashi's 76 points. To Midorima's surprise, a cheer went up from the spectators. Aomine, Kise, and Kagami simply threw themselves to the ground in exhaustion.

"Ah," Aomine panted. "I'd forgotten what it was like to be this tried." He didn't sound upset about his loss, but maybe that was because of who they had lost to. No one could underestimate that team.

"That's because you're an idiot," Midorima replied, staggering slightly towards the fence so he could lean against it. His hands throbbed slightly from Kuroko's passes, and he cherished the feeling of it. A pass from Kuroko had always been a rare gift, and he was happy to receive each one.

"If you practiced more, you'd remember this feeling," Kise said with a tired laugh. Midorima thought he saw someone snap a photo of the model sprawled out on the ground. Even soaked in sweat and lying on the ground, Kise looked like the top model he was.

"Are you all idiots?" Kagami asked. "You're supposed to feel like this after a match." There was a slight pause as everyone considered his words. Even now, with the team broken, a close match was a rare treat.

"I could always contact your captains and let them know that you obviously aren't training hard enough," Akashi offered, wiping the sweat from his face with his towel.

"Geh! Don't!" Aomine exclaimed.

"We'd die, Akashicchi!" Kise protested. Murasakibara frowned severely, but didn't challenge Akashi's words. Midorima just sighed. Akashi's sense of humour really needed improvement.

"Tetsu, how are you?" Aomine called out, unmoving from his position on court.

"Fine," the bluenette replied.

"It was just enough exercise for him," Momoi answered, kneeling beside Kuroko, as he sat with his back against the fence. "You were right, Akashi-kun. One minute a period at this pace was perfect."

"Of course I was," Akashi answered with a smile. Midorima heard several people groan.


	13. Chapter 13

It's been brought to my attention that I may not actually be seeing the all the reviews. For some reason they aren't all getting emailed to me, so I've been trying to keep track on the site (and checking it makes me feel terribly vain), but I'm not sure that I'm seeing everything. I don't reply to all reviews, because, honestly, I'd rather be writing. Regardless, knowing that you guys are hanging in there means a lot to me. There's no way I'd be writing this much, this fast, without your support. I know the plot is slow, but we have five schools to visit, and characters to flesh out, so I can't I have the climax in Shutoku or no one (including me) will finish the story. I'm writing as fast as I can, so I hope this works for you.

* * *

Aomine showed up with roses, and a face red enough to match them.

"Look, uh," he said, awkwardly standing in Kuroko's doorway, "you're starting at Shutoku on Monday, and I wanted to do this right." He took a deep, shuddering breath in and met Kuroko's astonished eyes. "I like you, Tetsu." Kuroko's porcelain complexion showed his deep blush clearly.

"I can't-" Kuroko began.

"I know you can't answer right now," Aomine hurried to assure him. "I just needed you to know." They stood awkwardly in silence for a moment, before Kuroko opened his door fully.

"Would you like to come in?"

"...I...yes," Aomine admitted, entering Kuroko's condo. He kicked off his shoes and followed Kuroko in, now completely comfortable in his friend's home.

"You know that I'll still see you, even when I'm going to Shutoku, right?" Kuroko asked, taking the roses into the kitchen. Aomine trailed behind him. It had taken him every ounce of courage he had ever had to push Kuroko's doorbell. He had bought the roses on his way over, and had forced his trembling hand to push the bell as soon as he reached the door, knowing he would back out if he thought about it too long.

"Yeah, but... it'll be different," Aomine replied. "Seeing you every day, going to school together... I missed this."

"I did, too, Aomine-kun," Kuroko admitted. He put the roses on the table then bent down and started rummaging through what Aomine knew to be his pot drawer.

"What are you doing, Tetsu?" Aomine asked curiously.

"Looking for something to put the flowers in." Kuroko's answer was slightly muffled.

"You don't have a vase?"

"Why would I have a vase?" Kuroko questioned, pulling out a large pot from under the counter. "No one has ever given me flowers before." His words brought Aomine's blush back in full force.

"Ah, ok." Aomine saw Kuroko look at him, his eyes lit with amusement.

"How did you actually buy the flowers, if you're acting like this now?"

"It's because it's now that I'm acting like this."

"That doesn't make sense, Aomine-kun."

"Give me a break, Tetsu!" Aomine exclaimed, completely embarrassed. Kuroko smiled at him, and it was all worth it. _Whipped_ , Aomine thought to himself. _Totally whipped_. Kuroko trimmed the ends of the flowers before putting them in the pot he had selected, then stood back to admire his work. "...That's not entirely the look I was going for, Tetsu." Aomine commented critically.

"I think it suits us," Kuroko relpied, having taken a minute to asses it. The roses were leaning against the sides of the pot, creating a circle with a sort of empty space in the centre, while the handle of the pot lent the whole thing and heavily unbalanced look. Aomine wasn't clear on how it suited them, or if that was a bad thing, but decided against asking.

"You didn't have a smaller pot?"

"I do, but it's too small." Aomine simply grunted.

"How is your leg after the match? I know Satsuki said it was fine, and she's never wrong, but..."

"It's good," Kuroko replied, contentedly. "I was really happy to be able to play with Aomine-kun again."

"Me, too," Aomine confessed. "It's been really great catching your passes again, Tetsu." Kuroko had only been able to play for one quarter, but they were playing Senshinkan High, one of the Kings of Tokyo, in the semi-finals and the game had been, if not precisely challenging, less boring than some. Aomine had been happy enough playing with Kuroko not to hold back; they had won by 86 points. Over the last two weeks, Kuroko had gradually able to participate more in the practices, and every step forward had made Aomine happier. Before they could say anything else, or the conversation could get anymore awkward, the doorbell rang. They glanced at each other then went to answer the door together.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi exclaimed, for once not throwing herself at the bluenette. The reason for her unusual restraint was in her hands. _Tell me that isn't food_ , Aomine thought in alarm. _Tell me she doesn't intend to give Tetsu food._

"Hello Momoi-san," Kuroko's face and voice didn't change, but he was also eyeing the container Momoi was carrying.

"I wanted to confess to Tetsu-kun before he goes to Shutoku!" Momoi exclaimed with a lovely blush. Aomine was certain that it looked better on her than it had on him, and was able to fully appreciate Kuroko's response now that he wasn't the one confessing. The pink flush covering his porcelain face looked truly beautiful, to Aomine. "I like you, Tetsu-kun, I always have."

"Thank you Momoi-san." Kuroko's voice was impassive despite the colour of his face. "Would you like to come in?" Momoi shook her head, passing him the container.

"I don't want to interrupt you and Dai-chan," she replied, acknowledging her childhood friend for the first time.

"You wouldn't be-" Aomine immediately protested, and Kuroko nodded his agreement.

"Thank you. I wish I could join you two, but I also have work to do before tomorrow's finals match," she told them wistfully.

"Satauki, we're going to win anyway-" Kuroko jabbed him. "Ouch! Tetsu!"

"We're up against Seirin tomorrow," Kuroko scolded. "We need to be ready." Aomine sighed.

"Tetsu, they've lost you and that centre guy-"

"Kiyoshi," Kuroko and Momoi supplied simultaneously.

"And they have virtually no bench players. Kagami is good," and didn't those words burn his tongue, "but he's not enough to tip the balance without you. Anyway you look at it, we have the advantage."

"Still, you need to play seriously." Kuroko scolded.

"Which is why I need to get back to work," Momoi told them both. "I made you something, Tetsu-kun. I hope you like it."

"Thank you," was a much more honest answer than ' _I'm sure I will_.' Kuroko was good at replies like that, Aomine knew. Kuroko accepted the dish politely. Momoi hesitated, and just when Aomine was wondering what she was planning, she leaned forward and kissed Kuroko's lips.

"Satsuki!" Aomine yelped, his face flaming on her behalf. Momoi's herself was also now vibrantly red. The only saving grace was that it had been no more than a momentary brush of her lips. Kuroko's blush looked almost dangerous. _Too bold, Satsuki!_ Aomine thought, alarmed.

"Bye, Tetsu-kun! Don't be late tomorrow, Dai-chan!" And with that, she was gone. Aomine looked at Kuroko with concern. His friend had been frozen in place, and hadn't even acknowledged Momoi's sudden departure.

"Are you alright?" Aomine asked, genuinely concerned. "Tetsu?" His friend eventually drew a shuddering breath then turned to look at him.

"Did that really just happen?" Aomine nearly facepalmed at the question. "Did Momoi-san really just kiss me?"

"Uh, yeah, she did," Aomine admitted, worriedly.

"...Alright," Kuroko eventually replied, closing the door at last and returning to the kitchen. He looked expectantly at Aomine, who took the hint.

"It'll take a while for me to cook supper." When no answer came, he glanced back nervously. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Kuroko replied.

"She shouldn't have done that," Aomine said, still shocked by Momoi's behaviour. First Kise snuggling on Kuroko's lap, now Momoi kissing him! What was everyone doing? Having made miso soup nearly every day for two months, Aomine now prepared it with the ease of a master chef.

"...it's ok," Kuroko answered, finally sounding more like himself, "I never meant to lead her on," which was obvious, as far as Aomine was concerned, "but I've effectively done that for years. It seems like finally wants an answer from me."

"You don't have an answer," Aomine commented.

"I know, but I'll have to find one." Kuroko paused, then added, "that was my first kiss." Aomine dropped the tofu.

* * *

Kuroko spent the night remembering Momoi's kiss. He had honestly barely registered the feel of her lips before she withdrew, and Kuroko wasn't sure if he was disappointed about that or not. So many people had touched him in his life against his wishes, but Momoi's flustered kiss was nothing like that. Neither was cuddling with Kise and Aomine. People who treasured him touched him differently, Kuroko realized. Which meant that Kise was probably entirely serious about him as well.

 _When did all this happen? How did everything change so quickly? How was he supposed to feel about all these changes?_ Kuroko wondered, sitting on the bench waiting for the match to start. It was weird being on Too's bench instead of Seirin's, but Kuroko had already gone over to greet them. Everyone was clearly anxious, and no wonder; the practice match six weeks ago had shown the difference in their strength. Kuroko trusted Seirin, and Kagami in particular, not to give up, just like he once again trusted Aomine to go all out against them. Kuroko was nervous about using his misdirection against them, and even Momoi had acknowledged that it likely wouldn't be every effective against Seirin. Kuroko clenched his fists in frustration. _I need to get stronger_ , he thought. His phone beeped and he flipped it open.

 **You should pick up some plant food for the roses on your way home. Have a good match.** Akashi texted. Kuroko sighed, certain that neither Aomine nor Momoi had told the redhead about the roses.

"Line up!" The referee called, and Kuroko watched the teams lined up, torn. He was attending Too, and had genuinely come to like the team, but this was going to be a hard match. The first quarter started, predictably, with Aomine entering the zone and dominating the court. The flow changed at the start of the second period when Kagami got into the zone as well. The two aces battled, scoring points like the defence was asleep. They broke for half-time with a score of 76 to 62 with Too leading.

"Oi!" Someone called out, as they headed to the locker rooms. Everyone turned to stare at the newcomer. "Why aren't you playing like you did in the video, Aomine?" Kuroko sighed. Some _idiot_ had caught their streetball game on video and posted it online. Ever since, people had been going up to Aomine, inviting him to mixers, asking for basketball tips, or, what annoyed Aomine most of all, _giving_ basketball tips. Aomine had lost all patience with it after a fan had tried following him into a bathroom stall, and simply glared at the newcomer.

"Because the situation is entirely different," Kuroko answered for his friend, as the rest of the team encircled Aomine, careful to avoid any confrontation that might get their ace thrown out of the game.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Oi!" Aomine shouted. "Don't you dare-"

"It's fine Aomine-kun. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you."

"Who wants to meet you?" The guy complained. "This guy was passing in the video, but he sure as hell isn't passing now! Are you a complete asshole?" Kuroko walked right in front of the spectator.

"You shouldn't talk like that when you don't know Aomine-kun," Kuroko reprimanded, angry that after all of the work he had put in to get Aomine to work with his team, some outsider was trying to ruin that.

"We aren't good enough to keep up with Aomine in the zone," Wakamatsu acknowledged, to Kuroko's astonishment. He had never expected the proud captain to say that. "The people he was playing with and against in that video are other members of the Generation of Miracles, and Seirin's Kagami. We're simply not in their league. That's why teams have aces." Kuroko stared at Wakamatsu, impressed. That was a hard thing for anyone to say, and harder still for a captain.

"Tch. I hope you loose." With that, the guy stormed off. Aomine stared after him, visibly annoyed.

"What the hell?"

"Forget about it, Aomine-kun," Kuroko told him, returning to his side.

"But Tetsu, that guy was an asshole to you!"

"Do you think I need to be saved?" Aomine snapped his mouth shut, proof that he had at least some intelligence.

"No," Aomine replied sullenly.

"Then it's ok. I'm over it, and you need to be preparing for the second half." Kuroko paused, then seeing that wasn't quite enough, added, "unless you want to loose to Kagami-kun again."

"What? There's no way he's going to beat me!" And just like that, Aomine refocused on the game. Momoi glanced at Kuroko for the first time that day. She had been studiously avoiding his eyes, and Kuroko had begun wondering if she regretted kissing him. Seeing the blush that covered her face when their eyes met, Kuroko realized that wasn't the problem.

"You're really something," Wakamatsu commented as they returned to the bench after the break. Kuroko glanced at him. "I've never had as much trouble dealing with anyone as I do with Aomine, and you have him eating out of your hand."

"I wouldn't say that," Kuroko denied.

"I would. And Momoi, the most popular girl in Too, is openly in love with you. Why aren't you dating her?"

"...I've been wondering that myself," Kuroko relpied honestly.

"Get on it," Wakamatsu advised, "before someone else woos her away." With that, Too's captain walked onto the court, and the match continued. Kuroko was allowed to play in the fourth quarter, and if his misdirection didn't work particularly well against Seirin, his profound compatibility with Aomine did. Too won the finals, 116 to 98.


	14. Chapter 14

I struggled with this. Let's see how you find Midorima and Takao. I also thought I should mention, to those of you trying to guess where I'm going with this, that the reason I'm writing is because even though it seemed to me like this story should exist, it doesn't seem like anyone's written it. I've read a ton (literally) of KnB fanfiction and haven't really found anything along these lines. If I had found something reasonably close, I wouldn't be writing this. So predicting this story by what other people have written won't help you. The clues are in here.

Once again, to those who have reviewed, followed, and favourited, my sincere thanks

* * *

"Isn't it great, Shin-chan?" Takao asked enthusiastically, "Tet-chan is starting school with us tomorrow!" Midorima looked up from his laptop and frowned at the uninvited guest currently sprawled across his bed. Takao used the name Tet-chan freely, as though coming up with preposterous nicknames for virtual strangers was a given. Midorima sighed.

"What are you doing here, Takao?"

"I'm helping you prepare for Tet-chan's visit, of course!" Midorima considered telling Takao that Kuroko definitely wouldn't appreciate being called Tet-chan, but figured that wouldn't stop Takao, so didn't bother.

"I'm not preparing for Kuroko," Midorima replied instead, pushing his glasses up and looking away.

"You totally are!" Said Takao confidently. "What were you searching just now?"

"...the best route to Kuroko's place." Midorima had, in fact, never been to Kuroko's condo, although he knew where it was. Takao took a moment to absorb his answer then whooped.

"You're going to pick up Tet-chan?! That's SOO cute! You're like lovers or something!" Midorima felt himself blush harder with every line Takao added.

"You pick me up every day," Midorima objected, "that doesn't make us lovers." In the time they had known each other, Midorima had never lost a game of rock paper scissors against Takao. He had, therefore, never had to pull the rickshaw, despite the fact that they went to school together daily. As fate would have it, this year he and Takao were also in the same class, and Midorima had come to the conclusion that he saw far more of Takao than was reasonable.

"That's different," Takao dismissed. "This is Tet-chan we're talking about! Your sweetheart!" Midorima spluttered.

"Kuroko is not my sweetheart! I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Oh, don't be such a tsundere, Shin-chan! It's so obvious!"

"It's not obvious!" Midorima protested.

"So you're trying to be discrete?" Midorima froze at the sharpening in Takao's tone. "Eh? I always knew Shin-chan felt something special for Tet-chan." Midorima's face was almost painfully red. Takao noticed that and switched gears. "Have you ever tried telling him how you feel?"

"There's nothing to tell," Midorima said shakily. " Bloodtypes A and B are not compatible." Takao groaned, and rolled over.

"If Tet-chan was bloodtype B, would you confess?"

"It's not that simple, Takao," Midorima exhaled. He glanced at the clock then added, "look, I need to call Kuroko now before it's too late. Is there any possibility you could stay quiet while I'm on the phone?"

"I'm the soul of silence!" Takao proclaimed. Midorima eyed him dubiously, but chose to accept it. He pulled out his cell and hit Kuroko's contact.

"Hello," the bluenette's voice came through, and all of a sudden Midorima's mind was filled with memories of silken baby blue hair. He cleared his throat, hoping to clear his mind with it.

"Kuroko, I'll come by tomorrow morning and pick you up."

"Midorima-kun doesn't need to inconvenience himself like that," Kuroko replied. Midorima knew that Kuroko was trying to save him the trouble, but the rejection still stung.

"I'll show you around Shutoku since you're new," Midorima said. "It's not like I want to spend time with you, or anything."

"My leg is fine, Midorima-kun. I'm not a girl in need of protecting." Whether deliberately or not, Kuroko entirely missed the point.

"I never said you were a girl," Midorima shot back, ruffled.

"I can meet you at Shutoku."

"No," Midorima snapped. He saw Takao's eyes widen at his tone. Before Midorima could say anything else, his phone was snatched out of his hand.

"Hi Tet-chan! It's Takao! Listen, Shin-chan is too shy-"

"I'm not!"

"-to say that he really wants to spend time with you-"

"I don't!"

"'-so for his sake, why don't you let him take you to school?" Midorima spluttered. So much for Takao remaining quiet.

"...If Midorima wants to escort me, then I guess it's fine." Kuroko eventually answered, sounding resigned. Not exactly the reaction Midorima was hoping for, but that couldn't be helped. Kuroko was bloodtype A, after all. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Takao-kun."

"Me, too! Hey, do you mind if I join you guys?"

"I don't mind," Kuroko replied after the slightest hesitation.

"Great! Listen, Shin-chan is all ruffled now-"

"I'm not ruffled!"

"-so I'll give the phone back to him and see you tomorrow." With those words, Takao handed Midorima's cell back to him.

"There's no morning practice tomorrow," Midorima told Kuroko.

"Is Midorima assuming that I'll be joining the basketball team?"

"Won't you?" Midorima questioned, somewhat shocked by the possibility of Kuroko not being on a basketball team.

"Of course." _Then why phrase it like that?_ Midorima thought. He sighed and switched topics, summoning his courage.

"I'd like to cook for you while you're going to Shutoku." It was exceedingly rare for Midorima to say what he wanted, and Kuroko had never been someone who wanted charity, so he knew he would face some resistance to the idea.

"Why?"

"You can only boil eggs, right?"

"It's a mean boiled egg," Kuroko assured him confidently. _What's that even supposed to mean?_ Midorima wondered.

"You need to eat more than boiled eggs, Kuroko."

"There's nothing wrong with boiled eggs, Midorima-kun."

"There is if they're all you eat."

"I eat other things."

"Milkshakes don't count," Midorima sighed. "Listen, Kuroko. You're a national level basketball player, but you can't recover from your injury and train on your usual diet."

"...I suppose this is why Akashi-kun insisted on going grocery shopping before he left today." Midorima was more interested in the fact that the redhead had made time in his intensely busy schedule to come to Tokyo and visit with Kuroko than that his offer to cook for Kuroko had been anticipated.

"It's important for me, as a future doctor, to learn more about nutrition." Midorima knew that Kuroko hated to be a bother, but would fold if you could convince him that you were doing this for yourself.

"Please tell me it's not miso soup and onigiri."

"I can cook more than that!" Midorima defended, then considered the possible reason for the question.

"Is that all Aomine fed you?"

"Yes." Midorima waited, letting Kuroko reconcile himself to the offer. "...alright. I look forward to eating your cooking, Midorima-kun." Midorima's face flushed at the slight softening of Kuroko's tone. They hung up, and Midorima noticed Takao's too sharp gaze on him.

"You're cooking for him, too? That's so sweet, Shin-chan! Seriously, though, why don't you confess while he's here?" The teasing tone in his voice was contrasted by the careful look in his eyes.

"I don't know know what you're talking about!" Midorima protested.

"It's ok, you know. I totally get that Tet-chan is a little hottie-"

"Don't," Midorima interrupted, his previous discomfort pushed aside. "You can't talk about Kuroko like that, Takao." Takao's teasing smile froze at the change. Seeing the unease in his eyes, Midorima thought about what he might be able to tell Takao. He didn't usually mean it when he snapped at Takao, something the other seemed to instinctively understand, but this time he was serious. "One time, when we were in first year, a couple of guys saw him and thought he looked really cute," Midorima closed his eyes, remembering the scene, "they tried to pick him up off the street." Seeing that Takao didn't get it, he added the key word. "Literally."

"...That's serious, Shin-chan," Takao replied solemnly, his face pale. "What happened?" Midorima snorted.

"Aomine and Murasakibara attacked the men. I thought they were going to kill them. Akashi had the men arrested. They were sentenced to ten years in prison." Midorima didn't feel the need to mention that he and Akashi had also thrown themselves at the men. He could only imagine Kise's reaction if he had been part of the team at the time.

"How do you get ten years in prison for a crime you didn't successfully commit?"

"You face Akashi's lawyers." Takao seemed somewhat taken aback by Midorima's cold reply.

"So being good looking has caused problems for Tet-chan?"

"Yes," Midorima said. "Kuroko gave you permission to go to his condo-"

"Tet-chan has a condo?"

"-but I need you to promise that you won't tell anyone where he lives."

"Because strangers aren't the only danger to Tet-chan." Sometimes Midorima forgot how smart Takao could be. "Tet-chan coming to school with us, no one finding out where he lives... This all has something to do with that phone call you got a couple months ago from Akashi, doesn't it?" Midorima had expected that he would need to explain Kuroko's sudden transfer to someone as inquisitive as Takao. If anything, Midorima was only surprised that it had taken this long for him to ask.

"We were worried that someone might have tried to grab him, again," Midorima briefly explained, "but it turned out that he had broken his leg, and no one had spotted him."

"How long did it take for someone to find him?"

"Three days."

"...That's brutal," Takao eventually replied.

"Kuroko's tough," Midorima assured him. "He's probably the toughest person I know."

* * *

Midorima opened his front door to find Takao already sitting on the bicycle ready to pull the rickshaw.

"Since when are you so excited to see Kuroko, Takao?" Midorima greeted. "I thought you didn't like him."

"How can you say that, Shin-chan? Tet-chan in my rival! And he's your friend! Of course I'm looking forward to having him go to school with us!"

"He's not my friend," Midorima replied automatically.

"Your crush, then?"

"I can make you walk, Takao."

"Don't be like that, Shin-chan!" Takao protested as Midorima carefully placed the cabinet door (his lucky item for the day) and the curling iron (Kuroko's lucky item) in the back of the rickshaw. After a routine game of rock paper scissors (which Midorima inevitably won) Takao began to pedal. "Where are we going, by the way, Shin-chan?"

"I'll direct you."

"Are you going to be dropping Tet-chan off after school, too?"

"Yes."

"So you'll be picking him up and dropping him off every day?" Takao clarified, eyes wide.

"Yes. It's not like I'm worried about him or anything, but it'll be good practice cooking."

"Shin-chan," Takao said, "I never mentioned cooking." Midorima fell silent. It took fifteen minutes, as he had anticipated, and they were just pulling up in front of the building when Takao glanced over and waved.

"Tet-chan!" Even Midorima, who had known Kuroko for years hadn't spotted him that fast. Takao's Hawk Eye was impressive.

"Midorima-kun, Takao-kun," Kuroko acknowledged with a bow. "Thank you for coming to pick me up."

"No problem, right, Shin-chan? Shin-chan has been really excited that you're coming to Shutoku!" Midorima ignored the curious glance Kuroko sent him.

"I'm looking forward to it as well. Congratulations on your ranking in the regionals," Kuroko deadpanned, climbing into the rickshaw and sitting beside Midorima.

"Third place? We were hoping for better, but our team lost a lot of senpai, and we're getting used to the new team," Takao chattered happily as he started pedalling. "Only Captain Miyaji, Shin-chan and I are left from last year's team!"

"I saw your match. You both played well."

"I can't turn to look," Takao panted, obviously feeling the difference in effort required to pull two people, "but I bet Shin-chan is blushing!"

"Don't be stupid, Takao," Midorima grumbled, pushing his glasses up.

"It sounds like Midorima-kun and Takao-kun are very close," Kuroko commented.

"What?" Midorima spluttered, feeling himself blush. "It's not like that!"

"If Midoima-kun is friends with Takao-kun then I would also like to get to know him better." Kuroko's voice was flat, despite the kindness of the words.

"I just said it's not like that!" They were stopped at a traffic light, and Takao turned back to look at them. Then. Began. Laughing.

"Your face! Oh, God, how do you get it that red? Ahaha!"

"Let's go," Midorima said gruffly, relieved the light had changed again.

* * *

Kuroko enjoyed his first day at Shutoku. Midorima and Takao were entertaining guides, and he was happy to have been placed in the same class as them. When Midorima had awkwardly presented him with a curling iron for good luck in the rickshaw, Kuroko had sudden visions of two months worth of lucky items accumulating in his condo: doorknobs, statues, and knickknacks defying identification cluttered the space. Hoping to avoid that, Kuroko had accepted the gift on the condition that it was the _only_ time Midorima would buy him his lucky item. Midorima was, predictably, concerned about Kuroko's fate without his lucky items, but Kuroko had been adamant.

"I have to say, Tet-chan, I never expected to play on the same team as you," Takao commented as the three of them exited the change rooms.

"Please don't call me that," Kuroko replied. It was the eleventh time he had made the request. Before Takao could refuse, again, Midorima spoke.

"I've already told Captain Miyaji about your transfer, but you should greet him in person." Kuroko nodded. Despite Midorima's obsession with Oha-Asa, he was virtually the only member of the Generation of Miracles who consistently remembered the niceties, which was something Kuroko appreciated.

"Hello," Kuroko greeted, watching the new captain jump.

"Wah! Do people ever get used to that?"

"I'll be in your care," Kuroko continued, not bothering to address the question. Kuroko didn't think it was likely that many people would be able to get used to him in a mere two months, and wasn't worried about it.

"Midorima said that you were recovering from a fractured leg," the captain said. Kuroko nodded. "I gather you played for Too yesterday?"

"Yes, but only in the fourth quarter," Kuroko agreed impassively.

"How did it hold up?"

"Fine."

"Alright, you join practice and we'll see how it goes. I won't risk injuring a player, so if you can't play I need you to tell me."

"I will monitor Kuroko's condition," Midorima volunteered joining the conversation, and causing Kuroko to frown. "Sit down so I can look at it," Midorima instructed.

"Momoi-san and Akashi-kun _both_ looked at it yesterday," Kuroko protested.

"No one has looked at it today." If Midorima decided to tell anyone that Kuroko wasn't looking after himself, his life would be completely overrun by well wishers, Kuroko knew. He sighed quietly at Midorima's response and resignedly took a seat on the bench. Midorima knelt in front of Kuroko and carefully inspected i, running his hands over it to assess the bone and muscle. Kuroko was aware of the whispers around them, but focused on answering Midorima's questions. Once Midorima was satisfied that Kuroko was in fact fit for practice, they began stretching together.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry about the delay in getting this chapter out. As I said before, I'm just brute forcing the chapters that don't really work; otherwise we'll never move forward. As always, thanks to those who followed, favourited, or reviewed.

* * *

Kuroko's legs lacked the flawless beauty of his face; small scars decorated them, permanent medals of valour etched into his skin. To Midorima, those scars showed a different type of perfection from the unmarked artistry of the bluenette's face, and he fought the urge to lean forward and worship them. Midorima knelt in front of Kuroko, in what had become their intimate ritual, and carefully ran his hands over the bluenette's leg. He was glad that Kuroko had agreed to be examined at his condo instead of before practice every day. The team's prying eyes had made Midorima uncomfortable since he knew that his touch reflected the reverence he felt towards Kuroko.

"Looks fine," Midorima eventually said. Instead of leaning forward and kissing a trail up Kuroko's legs, Midorima forced himself to lean back.

"Thank you, Midorima-kun," Kuroko replied. Midorima was never sure if Kuroko was unaware of the intimacy of what they were doing, or if he simply chose to ignore it, but Midorima had learned to shake it off after the first few days.

"I'll make dinner," Midorima said, getting to his feet. "It's not like I'm worried about you or anything, I just want to eat." He headed to the kitchen, now familiar with Kuroko's condo. Kuroko had been attending Shutoku for two weeks, and Midorima wasn't certain where the time had gone. Practicing with Kuroko again had been a privilege, despite the fact that Kuroko still couldn't play a full game. Kuroko and Takao's familiarity with Midorima's basketball ball allowed them to develop a play style centred around the ace, which would make them exceedingly difficult to beat. The team had breezed through the opening matches of the nationals, but they were playing Kirisaki Daichi in the quarter finals tomorrow and needed to be prepared.

"Where is Takao-kun?" Kuroko asked, following him. The topic made Midorima hesitate as he put on the apron which had been his lucky item for the day.

"He said he didn't want to intrude," Midorima answered reluctantly. And wasn't that weird? When had Takao ever cared about intruding? Takao still went to school with them, but after the third day had stopped going to Kuroko's condo after practice. It had been more than a week now, and nothing seemed to change Takao's stance. Midorima was puzzled by Takao's strange behaviour, but knew that he wasn't skilled at emotional discussions, and had no idea how to broach the subject.

"Am I being a bother?" Kuroko questioned. Midorima's head snapped around.

"No! I'm sure it's nothing! Don't blame yourself, Kuroko." Seeing the mutinous look on his face, Midorima walked up to him. "You aren't a bother, Kuroko." Midorima spoke with rare honesty.

"You don't always need to feed me," Kuroko offered. "You can spend more time with Takao-kun." Midorima shook his head at the suggestion.

"I want to cook for you," Midorima admitted.

"Why?"

"...You're malnourished, Kuroko." Predictably, Kuroko instantly opened his mouth to protest.

"I'm not-" Midorima sighed.

"You aren't _technically_ malnourished," Midorima conceded, "but Kuroko, you've never had the opportunity to eat well."

"I'm not that small, Midorima-kun, or weak. You're just used to monsters." Midorima shook his head at Kuroko's defiance.

"Kuroko, you don't have the health you would, if your parents had fed you properly."

"They fed me," Kuroko argued.

"Not enough," Midorima disagreed, familiar with Kuroko's defence of his parents. "When others train, they don't throw up, or pass out."

"There are others who aren't strong, Midorima-kun. Not everyone can be like you."

"That's true, but not feeding a child properly raises that from a possibility to a probability. You're one of us, but you don't have the same physical strength." Blue eyes met green, weighing his words. "You train harder than anyone," Midorima continued. "I can't undo the damage done, but while you're at Shutoku, I can at least make sure you eat well."

"I didn't realize it bothered you so much." Kuroko must have seen something in Midorima's eyes, because his answer was soft when it came. "Thank you for your care," he added, bowing. Before Midorima could reply, the doorbell rang. Kuroko went to answer it while Midorima began pulling the ingredients out for dinner.

"Akashi-kun, Murasakibara-kun," Midorima heard Kuroko greet. Midorima was surprised - had Kuroko known they would be coming? - but began getting out extra ingredients, while Kuroko led the others back.

"Midorima," Akashi acknowledged. Amusement lit his eyes as he in inspected Midorima. Or, more precisely, the apron he was wearing. It was his mother's, pink with large frills, but Midorima wouldn't waste money by buying another one when his mother already one he could use for the day. "You look quite at home."

"Akashi." Midorima decided against answering his friend's remark; it was safer.

"Mido-chin," Murasakibara acknowledged, munching on his snacks.

"Don't eat, Murasakibara!" Midorima scolded. "I'm making dinner!"

"You sound like my mom," Murasakibara drawled.

"I'll help," Akashi offered. Silence fell as Midorima and Murasakibara stared at him.

"Aka-chin can cook?" Akashi raised a brow in reply.

"Of course I can." Midorima sighed, but just then the doorbell rang again. Kuroko left them to go answer it. Akashi asked Midorima what he had been planning for dinner, but the voices in the foyer carried clearly to them.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi squealed. Midorima could easily envision her launching herself at the bluenette.

"Yo, Tetsu." If Momoi was there, it was almost inevitable that Aomine was as well.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed. Midorima sighed as Akashi chuckled. The evening was going to be a lot noisier than he had anticipated.

"Did I invite everyone over?" Kuroko asked with apparent sincerity, as three more guests followed him in. Before anyone could answer, Aomine began laughing.

"That apron! It totally suits you, Midorima! Ahaha!"

"It really does," Kise said, cougheding violently, badly muffling his snickers. _How is that guy an actor?_ Midorima wondered, electing to ignore them until they had calmed themselves. Akashi and Midorima got to work in the kitchen and Murasakibara continued snacking while the others tried to compose themselves. "Since Akashicchi and Murasakibaracchi are in town, it's obvious we would meet up!" Kise eventually answered, blithely ignoring the fact that a gathering like this would have been impossible a year ago.

"Speaking of which," Kuroko commented, turning to Akashi, "you can't sleep on the couch tonight, where will you sleep?"

"Akashi slept on your couch, Tetsu?" Aomine interrupted, apparently doubting his own ears. Midorima didn't blame him; the sentence didn't make any sense.

"Hmm," Murasakibara answered before Kuroko could. "Aka-chin slept on the couch when we celebrated Kuro-chin getting his cast off." Akashi continued washing the vegetables as though completely unaware of the fact that everyone was staring at him.

"Why can't I sleep on the couch, Kuroko?" Akashi didn't turn around as he spoke.

"You have a match tomorrow," Kuroko replied with a frown. "You need to be well rested."

"Hmm," Akashi set the vegetables to the side, then turned to face Kuroko. "Well, I suppose I could sleep with you." The words were like a bomb in the room.

Everyone froze, staring at the redhead in disbelief. Their reactions confirmed to Midorima that all of them held a special place for Kuroko in their hearts. Midorima felt a pang in his chest; the pot he held dropping from his suddenly numb fingers, echoing loudly in the kitchen. Evidently the signal for people to speak again.

"EH?!" Kise and Momoi screeched, a dramatic and delayed reaction. Kise had managed to fall over in shock, despite the fact that he had been standing still when Akashi spoke. _How do you do that?_ Midorima wondered absently. Momoi clung fiercely to Kuroko's arm, as though ready to spirit him away from Akashi.

"You can't do that!" Aomine spluttered, outraged.

"No fair, Aka-chin, I want to sleep with Kuro-chin." Murasakibara grumbled. Midorima flushed at the bold words.

"There's a problem with the way you phrase that, Akashi-kun," Kuroko complained, blushing heavily. Midorima thought Akashi was far too amused by the chaos he had wrought.

* * *

"There is something else we need to discuss." Akashi's voice cut through the chatter after dinner. They had moved to the living room and were sprawled on sofas, chairs, and in Murasakibara's case, the floor. Everyone fell silent waiting for Akashi to continue. It was always like this, Midorima thought, frustrated. Akashi effortlessly controlled any room he entered: even this collection of difficult personalities stood no chance.

"What's that, Akashi-kun?"

"Your game against Kirisaki Daichi tomorrow," Akshi answered seriously. Kuroko's usually expressionless mask failed him at the words; his tension was obvious. "They hold a grudge against you, personally, Kuroko and will try to injure you during the game." Which was exactly what Midorima had been worrying about ever since he saw the matchup, but hadn't known how to talk to Kuroko about.

"Yes," Momoi agreed before anyone else could comment. "That's in my data, as well. Tetsu-kun can't play tomorrow." Their words clearly made Kuroko angry, but he stayed silent.

"Bastards," Aomine swore.

"Kurokocchi," Kise murmured sympathetically, getting up from his chair and going over to snuggle the bluenette on the couch. Kuroko remained stiff in his arms.

"If they hurt Kuro-chin, I'll crush them," Murasakibara asserted.

"Please don't," Kuroko requested.

"Hmm," Murasakibara considered. "I think I will, Kuro-chin. Want a candy?" Murasakibara asked, sitting up to lean against Kuroko's leg and resting his head in the bluenette's lap.

"No thank you, Murasakibara-kun." Kuroko's reply was polite, but cold. Despite this, he reached a hand down and absentmindedly ran a hand through Murasakibara's hair; a rare reversal for the pair. Murasakibara almost purred at his touch, and Midorima felt his chest clench again at the sight.

"I'm not saying you can't play at all," Akashi clarified, "but if they deliberately injure you, I will go after them with a knife." The words were said baldly, without any ostentation, and every person in the room believed him.

"Akashi-kun shouldn't say things like that," Kuroko reprimanded.

"Why are you acting surprised, Tetsu? You know we'd kill for you." Aomine's honest comment seemed to disturb Kuroko.

"I promise to be careful."

"Not good enough, Tetsu," Aomine argued. "Just sit it out. Two weeks ago you weren't even on the team; let them win or loose with their own strength."

"I'm on their team now, Aomine-kun, and it's my job to support them."

"I appreciate you trying to support us," Midorima said, "but I couldn't bear if you got reinjured because of it."

"They always play dirty," Kuroko argued. "There's no reason to believe that they're targeting me, specifically. Midorima-kun is the ace, after all." While Midorima appreciated Kuroko's concern for his safety, the bluenette was clearly missing the point.

"Tetsu, you broke their web last time," Aomine explained. "Seirin would have lost without you, and anyone who watched that game knows that." A faint blush tinted Kuroko's cheeks at the praise.

"Still, I don't join a team in order to be protected," Kuroko disclaimed. "I'm a second year now, it's my job to protect my juniors." While Midorima understood that Kuroko was thinking of Kiyoshi, that didn't mean he could accept the decision.

"There aren't any first years in the lineup," Midorima refuted.

"We hate it when Kurokocchi gets hurt," Kise added persuasively, cuddling the bluenette.

"Kise-kun doesn't play fair," Kuroko grumbled, looking far cuter than the situation warranted.

"Fifteen points," Akashi cut in. Midorima was certain the redhead had already decided on the 'compromise' before beginning the discussion. He had most likely wanted the others to wear Kuroko down to the point where he would accept it. Midorima also knew that he'd be in a great deal of trouble if he let Kuroko play more than that. "If Shutoku falls fifteen points behind, you can play, but only for one quarter." Kuroko sighed looking around the room, and finally leaned into Kise's embrace, his hand still buried in Murasakibara's hair.

"Alright." Midorima ignored the pain in his chest.


	16. Chapter 16

I wanted to thank everyone for the follows, favourites, and reviews (I got ten for the last chapter, which is the most I've ever gotten for a chapter! Thank you very much!). I almost scrapped that chapter, so I'm really glad you liked it.

Also, a few people have commented on me sounding insecure, and I wanted to briefly address that. I'm older than you probably think (30), but haven't put pen to paper in a decade, except for the few stories I've now posted on this site. Because I've changed a lot over the years, I need to find a writing style which reflects the person I am now, not the one I was ten years ago, and that is a work in progress. I am trying to add depth and complexity that I couldn't have before (and would really appreciate hearing if that's coming accross). Also, my writing style is not my preferred reading style (I write the way I speak), which presents a problem in my evaluating its value.

I just wanted to say that I appreciate the support. I'm not trying to sound down on myself, but what I've posted on this site is all I've ever written for public review, so it's a new experience. Anyway, thanks. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Kuroko sat with Shutoku in the stands, waiting for the match to start. All of the Generation of Miracles and Seirin had made it to the quarter finals, as expected, but with Too vs Rakuzan, Shutoku vs Kirisaki Daichi, Kaijo vs Seirin, and Yonsen vs Fukada Sogo, the matches promised to be intense. The first game of the quarter finals, Too vs Rakuzan, was a rematch of last year's championship match, except that Aomine and Akashi were both expected to play; it was the most highly anticipated match so far, and the stands were packed. Kuroko was not entirely immune to the crowd's excitement, even if he kept his face blank.

"So," Takao asked, "who does Tet-chan think will win?"

"I think either team could win," Kuroko replied, having long since given up on getting Takao not to call him that. He was still frustrated at being restricted in his play, but reluctantly admitted that he would be angry if one of the others were being targeted. Taking a risk and deliberately allowing yourself to be hurt were different.

"Eh, that's no fun. What about Shin-chan?"

"Virgo is ranked sixth today and Sagitarius is ranked ninth," Midorima eventually informed them, not looking away from the warmup taking place on the court. Takao looked at Kuroko for a translation.

"Aomine-kun is Virgo, and Akashi-kun is Sagitarius," Kuroko filled in.

"So Aomine?" Takao mused. "What rank are you today, Shin-chan?"

"Fourth," Midorima answered absently.

"Is that salt shaker going to make up for not being first?" Midorima slanted a look at Takao.

"It will," Midorima replied forcefully. Kuroko had been amazed when he had first seen the salt shaker; who knew they made them so large? Is there something wrong with bringing a smaller salt shaker? Kuroko wondered. Midorima's rationale wasn't clear to Kuroko, but he didn't question it; Oha-Asa was important to his friend, after all.

"Do you have salt in there, Shin-chan?"

"Takao," the greenette warned, apparently anticipating another one of Takao's jokes. Kuroko had come to really admire Takao's constant laughter, in the two weeks since he had come to Shutoku. He had been stunned to find out that Takao had been defeated by the Generation of Miracles in his third year, when he could laugh so freely with Midorima now. It showed a strength of character so many people lacked: most would have been overcome with bitterness.

The referee walked onto the court, and the players lined up. Even watching from the stands, it was difficult to see when Aomine took the ball; he was that fast in the zone. Akashi, however, stole the ball as Aomine went to move, and the match was on. The audience went wild watching Aomine in the zone, and Akashi synchronize his team. Out of all the major teams, Rakuzan had the fewest regulars graduate, and their teamwork was truly impeccable. When the buzzer rang for halftime, the teams were tied at 86 points.

"Wow," Takao commented, "I'm tired just watching." Kuroko silently agreed. Aomine and Akashi were both entirely focused, and even observing was somewhat intimidating. Aomine had stayed in the zone for the entire first half of the game, and was clearly exhausted, but the concentration it took for Akashi to draw out the best in his team was also draining. The second half of the game was set to be an endurance match, and Kuroko felt Aomine had the advantage there. What was Akashi planning? The crowd waited restlessly for the teams to return.

The second half started with Akashi scoring. To Kuroko's surprise, Aomine was able to enter the zone again. _He's been working hard,_ Kuroko thought. Even in a mere two weeks, Aomine had improved. Akashi, however, was adept at keeping his team coordinated. Although the technique required a lot of effort, Kuroko realized that Akashi was able to spread out the fatigue amongst his players so that he could continue. Being able to have an endurance match was a benefit of Akashi's new team play. Akashi and Aomine made Kuroko want to work harder so that he wasn't left behind, again. In Teiko he had accepted his place and never tried to overcome the limitations of his style by learning to dribble or shoot. Kuroko was done with that way of thinking. The second half of the game played out like the final scene of a basketball drama. Fast paced and intense, Rakuzan had a three point lead when the final buzzer went. Kuroko could clearly see the frustration on Aomine's face.

"If we had one more minute, we would have won!" Aomine snarled.

"That's not how basketball works, Aomine." Strangely, it was Akashi who went over to talk to the frustrated ace.

"I'll beat you next time, Akashi," the taller teen vowed.

"Good luck," Akashi replied, entirely unconcerned. Kuroko knew it had to be deliberate; nothing would get Aomine to train harder than having an opponent who had just beaten him dismiss him.

"You just wait, Akashi."

* * *

Midorima was apprehensive. He had done everything he could to prepare for the game, but a team like Kirisaki Daichi, which would do anything to win, was always a threat. Having new players in the lineup was also tough for him. He knew they practiced hard, but missed his senpai; trust and respect had to be earned, in Midorima's opinion, and the new regulars simply hadn't had much of a chance yet to do so. Regardless, he walked onto the court, concerned for his teammates, but doing his best to hide it. Suddenly acting mushy around them would be embarrassing, and having the ace nervous would undermine the team's confidence.

Shutoku's strategy was to quickly take the lead before Kirisaki Daichi had a chance to learn all their plays. In this regard, having three regulars graduate was to their advantage, since Kirisaki Daichi had very little information about their current lineup. The new team hadn't had the opportunity to practice screens as much as Midorima would have liked, but with Takao's support, he was still able to get free and shoot. They were leading by twelve points when the first quarter ended. Things began to turn sour in the second quarter when Kirisaki Daichi decided to double team Takao. Midorima was shocked by the move; like Kuroko, he had assumed that he would be their target in the game. Had they gotten the idea from the game against Rakuzan? In the end it didn't matter where the idea had come from; they had closed the gap to six points by halftime.

"Here," Kuroko said, handing Midorima his water. The greenette nodded at him.

"Thanks." The team was sitting in the locker room, waiting for the coach to review their strategy.

"Targeting Takao-kun was unexpected," Coach Nakatani admitted, "but it's an effective way to keep Midorima away from the ball. They should put Seto on now and spring the trap. We can expect a lot of steals. Kuroko-kun, I'm going to put you in towards the end of the third quarter." Midorima's head snapped around.

"There's no need for that," he asserted.

"I know you only wanted him to play if we fell fifteen points behind, but we can't afford to let them take control of the game."

"Coach," Midorima protested.

"It's fine, Midorima-kun," Kuroko insisted, meeting his eyes. "I appreciate you entrusting this to me." Midorima looked away, frustrated. The others were going to _kill_ him.

"What makes Kuroko so special?" One of the bench players - Suzuki, by name - asked. "He just waltzes into our school then gets to play in the quarter finals without even trying out for the team?" Midorima glared at the first year. What did he know?

"I apologize," Kuroko said, bowing. There was no expression on his face to show if the comments bothered him.

"He's one of the best basketball players in the country," Midorima answered angrily. "He makes any team he plays on stronger. We, the Generation of Miracles, acknowledge him as our trump card." Kuroko blushed at the unexpected praise.

"Thank you, Midorima-kun."

"So why haven't we been using this _trump card_?" Was Suzuki only capable of speaking sarcastically? Midorima had never paid much attention to the player, and was glad he wasn't expected to trust him on the court.

"Tet-chan was crucial to Seirin defeating Kirisaki Daichi," Takao replied, forcibly inserting himself into the conversation, "so there's a high probability they'll try to injure him. He's also recovering from another injury."

"It's fine," Kuroko told them.

"It's not," Midorima shot back, ruffled. The argument stopped only because they had to return to the game.

Coach Nakatani was correct that Seto came out after the break; the third quarter turned rough, as expected of Kirisaki Daichi. Midorima didn't falter as they bumped into him, even though he could feel bruises forming on his arms and legs. It wasn't the first time, after all, that people had resorted to violence in order to stop him; jealousy made people ugly. He pushed himself, hoping to show the coach that there was no need to put Kuroko in, but the gap slowly closed until Kirisaki Daichi took the lead.

Shutoku was only five points behind when the coach chose to send Kuroko in; Midorima swore he could feel Akashi's glare from the stands. Hanamiya's head snapped around, like a shark scenting blood and Midorima felt himself go cold. The ace nodded to his friend, and made eye contact with Takao who was still being double teamed. They continued, and Kuroko was able to get the ball to Midorima, ensuring that they quickly took back the lead. The distraction of having Kuroko on the court also helped Takao get free of his marks. Midorima's composure, however, broke when he realized that they were deliberately targeting Kuroko's _right_ leg; the one he had fractured. Shooting became more difficult, and the teams were tied when they broke for the final quarter.

"Midorima-kun is an idiot," Kuroko said conversationally, before anyone else could open their mouths. Midorima spluttered, and ignored Takao's chuckles. Even Takao lacked his customary smile in the face of such viciousness.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are. You're worrying about me, instead of the game."

"They're deliberately targeting your right leg! They know you're recovering!"

"Of course they do," Kuroko replied, "but I'm not the one covered in bruises." Midorima froze when he got a look at Kuroko's eyes. Kuroko didn't value himself enough to get angry when he got hurt, but when someone close to him did...

"I'm fine," Midorima said, kneeling in front of Kuroko and taking his hands. He met his friend's eyes and searched for a way to calm Kuroko down quickly before he did something reckless, but how? Frantic, Midorima did the first thing that occurred to him. He leaned forward and kissed backs of the pale hands he held.

"Midorima-kun!" Kuroko exclaimed, blushing brightly, shock covering his face. Midorima really wasn't one for public displays of affection, but his mind was completely blank, and if he didn't do something, Kuroko could get _hurt_.

"What the hell?!" Miyaji shouted, leaping off the bench and staring at them.

"You're _gay_?" Someone asked in disgust.

"Leave Shin-chan alone!" Takao snapped. Midorima was aware of his friend's defence, even though he stayed focused on Kuroko's reaction. "What's wrong with that? He's a better player than you any day!" Midorima knew he was as red as Kuroko, but ignored everyone except the phantom in front of him.

"Are you calmer, now?"

"Not really, Midorima-kun," Kuroko answered honestly, "but I'm not angry anymore."

* * *

The game ended 112 to 108 for Shutoko, but the atmosphere heading into the change rooms was awkward. Kuroko had forced himself to set aside his shock over Midorima's actions to play, but knew he wanted answers.

"I don't want to strip with some gay dude," one of the bench players sneered. Kuroko hadn't had a chance to learn all the players names yet; he had focused on the regulars. Midorima continued undressing as though totally unaware of the comment, but Kuroko knew that out of the Generation of Miracles, Midorima was the most sensitive.

"Leave Shin-chan alone!" Takao shouted, his usual cheer nowhere to be seen.

"Did you know you were friends with a queer?" The guy continued. Before Takao could reply, Kuroko used an Ignite Pass Kai on the offensive player. He was far too angry to speak, so simply looked down on the fallen player, who paled. This was finally enough for Midorima to come over. Kuroko let the greenette take his elbow and pull him back.

"Kuroko, Takao, I'm fine. Let them say what they want."

"But Shin-chan-"

"They're going to say it, whether it's to my face or behind my back," Midorima reasoned.

"That doesn't make it right!" Takao argued. Kuroko continued glaring at the player fro a moment, before looking around, memorizing which players met his eyes, and which ones looked away.

"It doesn't matter, Takao."

"Midorima is correct," Coach Nakatani intervened, at last. "Midorima's personal feelings aren't relevant to his basketball. The rest of you are going to have to accept that, if you want any chance at a title. He stays our ace." That was in question? Because Midorima kissed his hands? Kuroko froze at the thought of the shooter loosing his place on the team because of _him_. Who would take Midorima off the team because of something so trivial?

"It's my fault," Kuroko said abruptly, turning to the coach, "for seducing Midorima-kun."

"Kuroko!"

"Tet-chan!" Midorima and Takao objected simultaneously, but Kuroko held the coach's eyes. The coach needed a way out without sacrificing team play or his ace.

"Alright, we can't have any disruptions to the team, so for now I'm pulling you as a starter." Kuroko nodded resolutely. If that was what it took to protect Midorima, then that's what he would do.


	17. Chapter 17

I'm able to put this chapter up quickly because I had already written some of it (it got stuck in my head), but the next chapter won't be this fast. I'm really tired posting this, so if you spot any errors, please let me know.

I've just passed 100 favoutrites, and 150 follows, and I wanted to thank everyone who followed & favourited. Also, there are a few of you who have bee reviewing from virtually the beginning, and I wanted to thank you for your continued support.

* * *

Akashi, Aomine, Kise, Murasakibara, and Momoi were waiting outside the change room, and Midorima was grateful for their support. Guilt gnawed at him, even though he appreciated Kuroko and Takao's defence. He tried not to clutch the salt shaker in his hand as he second-guessed himself. If he had thought of something better, Kuroko would still be able to play with Shutoku. Why had he frozen? Was it because Kuroko was involved? What else could he have done? The other Shutoku players glanced at the Miracles, but filed past them in silence until Takao was the only one left with them in the corridor.

"What were you thinking?!" Aomine snapped, once they were alone. _So much for support_ , Midorima sighed. Still, it was better than being completely ignored.

"Leave him be!" Takao snarled reflexively, for what already seemed like the thousandth time.

"Dai-chan," Momoi tried to intervene, but Kuroko beat her to it.

"If I had remained calm, Midorima-kun would not have felt obliged to... kiss me" A blush stained Kuroko's cheeks, and Midorima felt himself soften, pleased, despite everything, to be the one to put that look on the bluenette's face.

"So cute, Kurokocchi!" Kise shouted, latching onto Kuroko. Midorima's pleasure was short-lived.

"It was, admittedly, not the best option," Akashi declared, and Midorima knew he would hear more about that later, "but it changed the dynamics enough to prevent Kuroko from being reinjured, so in that regard, it's fine. Congratulations on making it to the semi-finals, Kuroko, Midorima, Takao." The redhead nodded to each in turn.

"You as well," Midorima replied. "Unfortunately, Kuroko took responsibility for my... action," Midorima really couldn't bring himself to say that he had kissed Kuroko, even if it was just his hands, "and is no longer a starter." Akashi nodded as Aomine and Kise growled. Kise snuggled into the bluenette, who was being unusually tolerant of the display. _Is he that upset?_ The thought made Midorima feel even worse.

"Well, at least you didn't just steal his first kiss," Aomine commented pointedly. Kise chuckled into Kuroko's hair.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi-san protested, blushing prettily. Midorima hid a wince. Momoi-san had kissed Kuroko? On the lips? When had that happened? Midorima felt Takao's gaze settle on him, and met his friend's eyes briefly.

"Wow, Tet-chan," Takao cut in, turning back to the phantom, "Shin-chan warned me, but I had no idea you were such a heartbreaker."

"I am not a heartbreaker," Kuroko deadpanned, and Midorima knew the bluenette truly didn't see himself as such. Before anyone else could comment, Murasakibara spoke up.

"Can we go home now, Aka-chin? I'm hungry." Seeing that the giant was out of snacks, the redhead nodded.

"Yes, it's time for dinner." Takao seemed puzzled by the reference to going home, since both players were known to be from out of town, but turned away before Midorima could explain.

"I'll head home now," Takao said, beginning to walk away from them.

"You're welcome to join us," Kuroko offered, much to Midorima's surprise. The others shifted, but no one disputed Kuroko's claim.

"No, thanks," Takao said, after glancing at Midorima and the Miracles.

"Thank you for defending Midorima-kun," Kuroko said, bowing deeply before Takao could escape. The point guard turned back to him and hesitated before answering.

"I didn't do it for you."

"I know," Kuroko replied serenely, "but I'm glad there's someone like you at Shutoku. Takao-kun is a very strong person." Takao, usually so adept at finding the right words, seemed at a loss. Kuroko's honesty often had that effect on people.

"Enjoy dinner," Takao finally said, leaving the Miracles and Momoi to themselves.

* * *

After they had eaten, Akashi suggested a game of shogi, and led Midorima out of Kuroko's condo. The redhead had told Kuroko he would sleep at his condo, the same as he had the night before, and the he and Midorima had said their goodbyes. Midorima had anticipated that Akashi would want to talk to him privately about what had happened, and went with him willingly. Akashi swiped a key, and, to Midorima's surprise, the elevator took them to the top floor.

"You own the penthouse?" Midorima questioned, familiar enough with Akashi to be only mildly incredulous, as the elevator doors opened directly into the living room. This suite, he realized, must take up the entire floor. The setting sun cast a warm glow across the room, and the space felt instantly inviting. Midorima understood, looking around, that this was private place for Akashi, and felt privileged to be allowed in.

"Of course," Akashi replied mildly, once again ignoring the discrepancy of a high schooler owning a place like this, and taking a seat.

"Does Kuroko know?" Akashi smiled, and Midorima knew the answer was _no_. Akashi pulled out a shogi board, and the two silently placed the pieces.

"I intend to live here when I go to Toudai," Akashi eventually explained. Midorima didn't doubt Akashi's ability to get into Toudai for a moment, but Akashi had bought the penthouse years ago. How long had he been planning on going to Toudai for? How far ahead did Akashi plan?

"Did you buy the condo for the penthouse?"

"Perhaps," Akashi mused, apparently considering the question."There are any number of condos I could have bought for Kuroko, but this one... moved me." They continued to play in silence as the room grew inexorably darker. Akashi reached out and switched on a lamp.

"I'm sorry," Midorima apologized quietly, finally ready to address the real issue. He was glad Akashi had waited for him to talk, but then, it was always like this with them; Akashi knew when to speak and when to stay silent.

"You always get so flustered, Midorima," Akashi eventually stated. _I do not!_ Midorima almost objected, before realizing that this would prove Akashi's point. He frowned at the board and ignored the redhead's chuckle. "I will consider ways for Kuroko to get back in the starting lineup," Akashi added gently, to Midorima's profound relief. "In the meantime, I will suggest that those of you in Tokyo play together on the weekends. I will try to come down, but on weekends where Murasakibara and I can't come down, Kagami and Takao would make for six players." Midorima liked the idea of playing with them. It would be a great way to continue to include Kuroko, and intense practice for all of them.

"I don't understand Akashi's actions," Midorima confessed after they had played in silence for nearly another handful of moves. Midorima had always found that speaking honestly was easier with a shogi board between them. He looked at Akashi across the board; it had been more than a year since they had last played together, and nostalgia hit him, hard.

"Oh?" The redhead prompted, watching Midorima make his move.

"Why are you suggesting we share Kuroko?" Midorima asked, blushing at the thought. He had long since realized what Akashi was planning, but what had led the redhead to such a decision? "Why not simply win him over yourself?"

"What's your objective, Midorima?" The greenette frowned, as much at the question, as the fact that Akashi had just swept in and taken his rook.

"I don't understand, Akashi." He was already getting tired of saying that.

"Hmm." The redhead met his eyes. "I sometimes feel like I enjoy basketball and shogi because they're so simple." Midorima stifled the impulse to define that word for Akashi, since he was obviously using it incorrectly; Akashi smiled momentarily, as though divining his thoughts. "We have been told what victory is in shogi, but if the objective of shogi was to capture the rook instead of the king, I would have just won." Midorima stared at the board, considering Akashi's words. They sat in silence for a few moves before Akashi continued. "Life isn't as simple as a game, Midorima." The words were harsh, but the tone mild. "Choosing your objective is crucial to successfully achieving it."

"What's your objective, then?"

"To make Kuroko as happy as possible." Akashi answered unhesitatingly. Midorima considered that reply in silence for a few minutes.

"And you believe that having us share him is the best option?"

"I think it's the best option for him," Akashi said carefully. "That's not necessarily the same thing as it being the best for all of us." Midorima sighed, considering.

"I'm not certain I can share him," Midorima admitted, feeling strange that the words seemed almost shameful to say.

"I know." Akashi remained gentle. "It's not for everyone. You can try to win him over yourself."

"This isn't easy," Midorima eventually commented.

"No," Akashi agreed, "there's nothing easy about being in love."

"Does Kuroko know?" Akashi raised a brow. "About sharing him?" Midorima clarified. The redhead shook his head.

"No, I was planning on telling him before he left for Akita." Midorima wondered how Kuroko would react to such a bold suggestion.

"What about your father?" Midorima considered Akashi's recent actions as the silence drew out: hiring Momoi-san, and taking steps to gain independence. After a few minutes, realization dawned. "You expect to be disowned." Akashi didn't seem to feel the need to reply to that, and a weight settled on Midorima's shoulders. "Akashi, are you sure? You'll loose your family."

"I don't have much of a family to begin with, Midorima." Sadness Midorima had never heard before crept into Akashi's voice. Well, who wouldn't be sad? Akashi was talking about being thrown away by his only family.

"Even so," Midorima gently protested.

"I'm certain," Akashi assured him. "Kuroko's smiles are worth more than anything my father could offer me."

"What do you think your father will do?" Midorima asked, trying to consider the situation from all angles.

"He'll deal with me quietly," Akashi answered. "If he actively moves against me, it will draw his enemies' notice and make him look bad. A son in a polyamorous relationship with a man would be mortifying to him. There are still lots of people who believe that homosexuality is contagious."

"Yes," Midorima agreed, thinking back on his team's reaction to his kiss.

"We have each other," Akashi murmured, and Midorima took comfort in the quiet words, even though Akashi had just checkmated him.

* * *

"Why do we need to watch this match, Muro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, gazing down at the court, munching through the snacks Himuro had bribed him with. It was halftime, and Kaijo already had a 26 point lead over Seirin. Murasakibara was, admittedly, curious about what Kise was planning; the blond had used all five minutes of his perfect copy, and it was clear Seirin was disturbed, instead of relieved, by the fact. Murasakibara agreed with their assessment. The lead Kaijo had wasn't worth throwing their best weapon away for, this early in the game.

"Taiga is playing, and I want to cheer for him," Himuro replied.

"Hmm," Murasakibara considered. "Should I vote for Ki-chin, or Kagami? Ki-chin," he decided, after a brief pause.

"What happened yesterday?" Himuro questioned, obviously referring to the commotion during the Shutoku - Kirisaki Daichi match.

"Kuro-chin got mad because Mido-chin was being injured," Murasakibara summarized. "Kuro-chin is scary when he's mad, so Mido-chin distracted him." Out of the corner of his eye, Murasakibara could see Himuro consider his words. Most people had no idea that Kuroko could hide such rage.

"Doesn't Midorima like Kuroko?" Himuro questioned. "Because that's really what it looked like."

"Everyone likes Kuro-chin," Murasakibara replied bluntly. Himuro hummed thoughtfully as the players lined up for the second half.

"Even you?"

"Yeah," Murasakibara agreed, opening a new bag of chips.

Before anything more could be said, the game restarted, and Seirin pushed hard, slowly gaining points. It wasn't until the last quarter of the game that the uneasy feeling Murasakibara had came to fruition; Kise used perfect copy for the entire quarter, finishing with an 18 point victory. Murasakibara was stunned, but refused to praise Kise for it; there was no need to encourage the model. Satisfied with Kise's victory, Murasakibara trailed Himuro into the change room and prepared for the game against Fukada Sogo.

Murasakibara frowned at Haizaki as the two teams faced each other. The giant easily reached the ball at the height of it's arc and sent it to Himuro for the first goal of the game. The first half of the match went roughly as planned, with one noticeable exception; Haizaki was able to copy Himuro's shot, but not closely enough to prevent Himuro from using it. The other players slowly lost their skills, and Murasakibara knew it would take some of them weeks to return to the level they were at prior to the game. Some of the bench players were rotated in, and the match continued. Despite Himuro's efforts, Yonsen was 7 points behind at the end of the third quarter.

"Murasakibara, I'm switching you to offence," Coach Araki instructed. "Haizaki can't copy your moves, or power, so take advantage of that."

"Hmm," Murasakibara considered.

"Haizaki went to Teiko with you, didn't he?" Himuro asked. Murasakibara nodded, but wondered where his friend was going with this. Despite his laid back appearance, Himuro always had a plan. "What was he like with Kuroko?" The question made Murasakibara hesitate.

"I need a hair tie," Murasakibara replied after thinking about it for a minute, and a first year quickly handed him one. _Himuro is too canny for his own good_ , Murasakibara thought, standing up to play the final quarter. Fully motivated, Murasakibara pushed Yonsen to victory, 97 points to Fukada Sogo's 93.


	18. Chapter 18

I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. I hadn't, in all honesty, meant for the Kirisaki Daichi game to go the way it did, so I didn't really know where to go from there. I am slowly inching up in follows and favourites, so thanks to everyone there. Also, to those who have reviewed, even though I'm not replying, I go back to your comments to get strength when I'm struggling, so please keep commenting. The reviews really mean so much to me. Thank you all for the support.

* * *

"Shin-chan, are you seriously going to bring a bra to school tomorrow?" Takao had assumed his usual place, sprawled out on Midorima's bed, watching the latter work.

"It's my lucky item," Midorima answered, barely pausing to glance up.

"I don't think you're going to feel so lucky when you get detention tomorrow."

"Why would I get detention?" Midorima frowned, genuinely puzzled by Takao's comment.

"Because you brought something obscene to school."

"A bra isn't obscene; girls wear them all the time," Midorima refuted logically. The bra in question was sitting on his bedside table, ready for the morning. Truthfully, it looked more like a piece of architecture than the skimpy pieces of cloth Midorima had unintentionally seen in some of the magazines the guys had lying around. He did ask, however, and Momoi-san had assured him that it was, in fact, her bra. He had stopped by her place to pick it up after having dinner with Kuroko.

"That's why it's obscene, Shin-chan. Where did you get the bra, anyway?"

"I asked Momoi-san for one of hers." Takao stared at him, then _howled_ with laughter. Midorima pushed his glasses up and watched him, once again wondering what he had said to prompt that response. "Are you alright?" He eventually asked, when it seemed like Takao was having trouble getting ahold of himself.

"Pfft! Shin-chan, you're the best!" Takao eventually exclaimed, wiping tears from his eyes. "You asked Momoi Satsuki, the manager of Too's basketball club, for her bra."

"Yes," Midorima confirmed, not understanding Takao's patent incredulity. Bras were unexpectedly expensive, and he'd known Momoi would have an extra one. _Why is it strange to ask?_ Midorima wondered.

"You're crazy, Shin-chan." Midorima sighed at the comment; it wasn't anything he didn't hear daily. They sat in silence for a while before Takao asked seriously, "how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." Midorima answered tonelessly.

"Don't be like that," Takao scolded. Midorima sighed. Even under the best of circumstances, facing Rakuzan in the semi-finals would have been challenging; with the team members unwilling to pass to him, the game had been a massacre 56 - 121. Rakuzan had ended up beating Kaijo in the finals, but at 111 - 108, the match had been much closer than Midorima had anticipated. It was almost frightening watching the speed at which Kise improved, and Midorima had spent countless hours practicing with Takao and Kuroko since watching that match; Kuroko had recently been declared fully healed, much to Midorima's relief. Takao stayed so quiet that Midorima eventually confessed.

"I never thought the team would make such a big deal of it."

"No," Takao agreed thoughtfully. "Neither did I. How are things with Tet-chan?"

"The same," Midorima answered with forced calm, trying to keep himself from blushing.

"Aw, shy Shin-chan is so cute!" Takao cooed to Midorima's discomfort.

"I am not shy! I am not cute!" He spluttered, completely flustered by Takao's crazy notions.

"Why haven't you used this opportunity to confess?" Takao asked, watching Midorima intently.

"There are other things I need to think about," Midorima muttered, refusing to meet his friend's eyes. He was _not_ going to explain Akashi's plan; Takao would get way too much entertainment out of _that_.

"That sounds awfully complicated, Shin-chan," Takao commented, eyes glinting, obviously aware that Midorima was not telling him everything.

"It is," Midorima agreed, determined not to go into the details. Before Takao could probe further, the sound of the front door opening then immediately slamming shut again carried up to them.

"You're late!" Midorima's mother's voice carried clearly up the stairwell. "I said we needed to talk and you can't even be on time!" She continued to shout. Midorima listened to his father's quiet, but equally angry, reply. Their voices faded as they moved away, and awkward silence blanketed the room.

"Sorry," Midorima mumbled, pushing up his glasses and not looking at Takao. How could people behave like that? If his parents didn't like each other, why had they stayed together this long? If they did like each other, how could they treat each other like this? Midorima had, honestly, long since given up hoping they would work things out; all he hoped for now was an end to the fights.

"It's not your fault, Shin-chan," Takao murmured, sliding off the bed and giving Midorima a completely unexpected hug. Midorima froze in shock. "Are they getting a divorce?" So it was obvious.

"I would imagine so," Midorima forced himself to reply. "I can't imagine what else they would need to talk about."

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan," Takao said softly, petting Midorima's hair. Although Midorima felt this was for the best, he was strangely disinclined to remove Takao's hand, and let himself be comforted. It was a rare moment for him.

* * *

The school day started much as Takao had warned him it would. When they arrived in front of Kuroko's condo, he was, as usual, already waiting for them. He stared at the bra somewhat precariously balanced on Midorima's hand for a long minute.

"Is that Momoi-san's?" He eventually asked. Midorima nodded, while Takao laughed _again_. Takao, Midorima felt, laughed far too much. "Ah, that makes sense, then." Having no idea what Kuroko felt made sense, Midorima just let the comment stand. "I can peddle," Kuroko offered, as was his routine.

"Don't worry about it, Tet-chan, I'm used to it." It was Takao's standard reply. Kuroko's lips creased slightly into a frown, but apparently realizing that he truly _wasn't_ going to win this fight, he climbed in and off they went to Shutoku. They had tried, once, letting Kuroko pull the rickshaw, but he had fainted - without warning them that it was too hard for him - less than a block from his condo, so the experiment had _not_ been repeated, much to Kuroko's frustration.

The real problems started with the teacher watching the gate. He had stopped them as the pulled in, and after confirming that Midorima was, in fact, carrying a bra into school had sent him directly to the principal's office. While the teachers tended to overlook Midorima's lucky items, this one, apparently, was a problem for them. Midorima knocked on the principal's door, and waited to be given permission before pushing it open.

"Midorima-kun," the principal began cheerfully, "what exactly-" and then he saw Midorima's lucky item and his greeting halted as he sighed deeply. "Is that bra your lucky item?" His tone was profoundly resigned, eliciting a frown from Midorima.

"Yes, sir," Midorima replied politely. Having been scouted for Shutoku, Midorima had met the principal on numerous occasions, and had always found him to be reasonable and professional, two traits Midorima valued highly. The principal rubbed a hand across his face, looking strangely haggard. Was something wrong?

"I don't really doubt you, but just give me a second," he said, turning to his computer. "It's Oha-Asa you follow, right?" Midorima nodded, and the principal typed it into the computer. Midorima felt mildly irritated that the principal was checking, but didn't comment. "Your birthday was in July, right?"

"The 7th," Midorima confirmed, surprised that the principal had bothered remembering that.

"Which makes you..."

"Cancer," Midorima filled in. Looking at the screen, the principal sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I have to confess, I was really hoping you were lying, or that this was some sort of prank," the principal said.

"I wouldn't do that," Midorima told him.

"Yeah, I should have realized that." He stared at Midorima for a minute before sighing again. "You really have no idea why this is a problem, do you?"

"No, sir." There was a long silence between them.

"Other guys will try to use this as an excuse to steal girl's bras, or bring in inappropriate magazines."

"I didn't steal the bra," Midorima huffed, annoyed by the idea.

"Did you really need to buy... such a big one?"

"I didn't buy it," Midorima clarified. "I borrowed it." The principal seemed to freeze as he digested that.

"You asked a girl to lend you her bra so you could carry it around the school all day?"

"Momoi-san understands," Midorima assured him. Strangely, this did not appear to appease the principal any.

"Midorima-kun," he began in an aggrieved tone, "you can't bring girls' underwear to school."

"It would be irresponsible of me to deliberately ignore Oha-Asa's advice," Midorima insisted, completely serious, "and girls bring bras to school all the time."

"Girls wear bras to school! They don't carry them around for everyone to see!" The man was clearly getting agitated.

"...I can't wear this bra," Midorima told the principal, not entirely sure what his point was, "it won't fit." The principal made a strangled sound in his throat. _Maybe he didn't sleep well_ , Midorima thought, certain the principal's day would be better if he had brought his lucky item.

"Girls can have bras! Guys can't!" The principal was getting more and more worked up as their conversation went on.

"That's discrimination," Midorima scolded. He was entirely taken aback when the principal let out a wordless shout. What was wrong with him? Should he tell someone about the principal's strange behaviour? Who?

"Here, take this," the principal snapped, scribbling something on a piece of paper and handing it to Midorima. Glancing down, Midorima saw that it was permission to carry the bra around for the day.

"Thank you, sir," Midorima replied politely.

"Now get out." Well, Midorima thought, that was strange. The exchange had taken long enough that Midorima headed directly to class, having missed too much of practice to join now.

Midorima, as it turned out, had to show the principal's note to _every_ teacher who saw him that day. Guys crowded around his desk, wanting to play with the bra (which, no, he did not allow), while girls decried him for a pervert. Part way through the day, he had received an outraged text from Aomine, and had been since caught in an ongoing debate with him. The guy just couldn't seem to handle the fact the Midorima had Momoi's bra; he had even suggested that if anyone was going to carry it around, it should be Kuroko. _What was the point of that?_ Midorima wondered. _It's not Kuroko's lucky item._ Kuroko and Takao stayed by his side, and if Takao was amused by the antics, he kept reasonably quiet about it. Midorima took comfort in their presence, even if he didn't say anything about it, and the three of them headed to practice together after a strangely tiring day.

"Is it true?" One of the first years, who had spent the last two weeks ignoring Midorima, asked, ambushing them at the door to the change room. Glancing at Midorima's hand, he whooped. "Man, I had the wrong idea about you! You're the best! Look at the size of _that_!" Midorima pushed his glasses up, uncomfortable with his teammate's enthusiasm. The rest of the team crowded around as the three of them entered.

"Have you been carrying that around all day?" Midorima nodded, pushing his glasses up and heading to his locker.

"Man, how did you get the teachers to go with that?" One of them asked, as Midorima put the bra down and began changing.

"It's my lucky item," Midorima answered.

"Damn, Oha-Asa might be onto something after all!" One of the new regulars exclaimed with almost Kise-level zeal.

"So your brought an F-cup? Not bad man, not bad," another approved, examining the bra.

"Is that your taste? I have to agree with you there." Midorima had finished changing, and picked up the bra to take into the gym.

"That's not just any bra," Takao told the team with relish, "that's Momoi Satsuki's bra." There was a collective groan from the team.

"That hottie from Too?"

"No way!"

"How did you get her bra?" Since Captain Miyaji was the one to ask, Midorima chose to answer.

"I asked her for it." There was an impressed whistle.

"Damn, you just went up and asked Momoi Satsuki for her bra? You've got balls man." And on that note, practice started. It was the best practice they had had in weeks.

* * *

"You really don't like me much, do you?" Kuroko asked the point guard. Captain Miyaji had asked Midorima to stay behind, possibly to find out more about Momoi and her bra, so Takao and Kuroko were left waiting for him.

"Eh? Don't be like that Tet-chan! We're rivals!" Takao gushed. Kuroko, used to Kise, who hid his intelligence behind a screen of smiles, was unmoved by Takao's energy.

"...in basketball?" Kuroko questioned, following his intuition.

"Obviously!" Takao's enthusiasm was undimmed.

"And other things?" Kuroko pursued. He was watching Takao carefully, and the slight flinch didn't go unnoticed. "So that's what this is about."

"I'm sorry," Takao finally murmured, letting go of his smile. "I thought I was stronger than this. I never meant to be rude to you."

"There's no reason for Takao-kun to be sorry," Kuroko assured the point guard.

"I know it's not your fault," Takao insisted. "I just can't..."

"Liking someone isn't something you assign blame for though," Kuroko told him, ruining it when he added, "is it?" Takao stared at him then began laughing.

"You really are something, aren't you?" Kuroko stared at the point guard, nonplussed by the response.

"Everyone is something, Takao-kun," Kuroko deadpanned, only making Takao laugh more. Kuroko waited for Takao's laughter to die down.

"...do you like Shin-chan?" Takao asked, his eyes somber.

"...I don't know," Kuroko replied, unable, in the face of Takao's love, to offer him anything but absolute honesty.

"Shin-chan likes you, though," Takao said sadly.

"He hasn't said anything." Kuroko's response was soft as he tried to comfort the other.

"I know," Takao answered, with a heartbreaking smile on his face, "but he will."


	19. Chapter 19

This chapter came together quickly, which makes me dubious, but I'm about as satisfied as I usually am with them, so I figured I'd get it up early. As always, I want to thank everyone for their support and those eight reviews really powered this chapter, so once again, thank you so much. I haven't decided whether it means more to see a review form someone who just found my story, or from someone who's been hanging in there for a while, since both mean so much. Thanks & hope you enjoy.

* * *

Takao's smile haunted Kuroko for the next week. He spent the nights, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering about the emotions which had pushed Takao to make such a heartbreaking expression. Could I look like that? Kuroko quickly batted the idea aside. He had worked too hard to lock down his expressions, and, while that had been great for dampening the enthusiasm of people who liked fear, it wasn't a great trait for the life he was living now. Kuroko had come to wonder about Midorima's feelings after the kiss, but it wasn't until the discussion with Takao that he gave his suspicions credence. He had berated himself for becoming vain in the face of Aomine and Momoi's confessions, but Takao's attitude had been too pointed to be ignored. It had been easy to see how the point guard felt about Midorima, but the shooter's feelings had been less clear to him. Kuroko felt badly for Takao, the more so because he wasn't sure what to do if Midorima did confess. Did he like Midorima? Could he justify taking Midorima away from someone who did for a maybe? Kuroko sighed, wishing there was someone he could talk to about all this as he settled in for another sleepless night.

Kuroko woke up tired, the annoying beep of the alarm echoing through the condo. He voted that was _not_ the right way to start the day, as he forced his weary body to move. His battle with his bed head was less successful than usual, or, perhaps more accurately, his bed head was so much worse than usual that even his best attempts produced minimal results. Eventually, he resigned himself to his spiky reflection, but the effort had made him late, and he hit the door running. It was Saturday, and Shutoku had a practice match against Seiho on the other side of town. Kuroko was optimistic about the match; ever since Midorima had brought Momoi's bra to school, teamwork had improved dramatically. Between the antacids and the bra, Kuroko was revisiting his opinion of Oha-Asa.

"Tet-chan!" Takao called out, as though their discussion had never happened. Takao had kept up his smiling attitude, and if he minimized the amount of time he spent with Kuroko, that was probably the only major sign that something had gone wrong. "Your hair looks great," Takao added, because his single greatest pleasure was needling people, as far as Kuroko should tell. Kuroko gave him the stink eye for the remark.

"Good morning, Kuroko," Midorima acknowledged. It certainly wasn't a greeting filled with passionate declarations of love; then again, Kise had that covered.

"Good morning." Kuroko was grateful for his blank face as he greeted them and climbed in the rickshaw. It appeared that today's lucky item was a baby diaper, and Kuroko was once again left pondering what possible use Midorima would have with one, but made no comment. The three of them met the team at school, and everyone loaded on the bus.

"We're here, Kuroko," Midorima said, which was when Kuroko discovered that he had dozed off. He sat up, and only then realized that he had been leaning on Midorima's shoulder. I must have been leaning on his shoulder the entire time, Kuroko thought, blushing slightly.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking away, because wasn't that awkward? Midorima shifted and pushed his glasses up.

"It's not like I had anywhere else to be," Midorima replied, because he was fundamentally incapable of saying _you're welcome_.

"Come on," Takao encouraged. Kuroko glanced up, unintentionally meeting the point guard's eyes. If there was jealousy in them, and there was, there was also resolve. Midorima went first, and Kuroko followed behind.

"Sorry," he murmured to Takao as he slipped past. Takao only shook the apology off.

"Not your fault," was the quiet reply. Kuroko didn't feel as relieved by the words at he would have liked, but how much had it cost Takao to offer them?

"Kuroko? Takao?" Midorima called out from the front of the bus.

"Don't get jealous!" Takao called out, since he obviously couldn't resist pouring oil on a fire. "We're coming!"

"I wasn't jealous!" Midorima denied, inevitably rising to the bait Takao had set. Kuroko was reminded of the benefits of keeping his mouth shut, and silently followed the team into the gym.

* * *

After winning the practice match, 119 to 102, the team stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Midorima was pleased, and puzzled, by how well the team was coordinating now. He had enjoyed having Kuroko back on the court, even if it was just for one quarter, and Takao's passes had been as flawless as he had come to expect. Lunch was, almost inevitably, a raucous affair, and Midorima was somewhat relieved when they started for the door.

"Shoot!" A woman on the sidewalk exclaimed as the team headed towards the bus. She sounded completely appalled, which caught Midorima's attention, and he glanced over to see her fussing over an infant in a stroller.

"What's wrong?" Her friend asked, concerned.

"Haru-chan just exploded-" it took Midorima a moment to realize what the woman meant, since it obviously wasn't literal, "and I'm completely out of diapers." Midorima hesitated. _This is what Oha-Asa meant_ , he told himself, steeling his resolve as he moved toward the women.

"Excuse me," he interrupted, pushing his glasses up, "I've got a diaper here, if you would like." The woman glanced over.

"Are you sure?" Midorima nodded. "Thank you. It's so tough when this happens, isn't it? How old is your little one?" Takao began choking behind him, and Midorima knew his face was scarlet.

"I, um, don't have one," Midorima replied, embarrassed on his behalf and hers. How could she mistake a high school student for a father? They were like a different species, as far as Midorima was concerned.

"Why are you carrying a diaper, then?" She paused, apparently too puzzled by his behaviour to continue cooing at her baby. Well, ok, maybe there was some basis for her assumption.

"It's my lucky item," Midorima informed her. Although, really, this could have been avoided if she followed Oha-Asa herself.

"Midorima!" Captain Miyaji called out, interrupting. "Hurry up!"

"Thank you!" The woman said. Midorima simply bowed in reply before turning (no, he was _not_ scurrying) back to his team; he studiously ignored Takao's hysterics.

"Where's Kuroko?" Captain Miyaji asked, glancing around as they prepared to leave.

"I'm here." Kuroko answered before Midorima could, raising his hand a mere foot from Miyaji. Midorima sighed at Kuroko's theatrics; he really did enjoy his misdirection a little too much some days.

"Shit!" Miyaji leapt, predictably startled, since six weeks really wasn't enough for the team to get used to Kuroko, especially when he was trying.

"What is it?" Midorima asked, as they settled into a seat, because sometimes Kuroko's silences had weight.

"You gave away your lucky item," Kuroko mused, examining him closely. Midorima fidgeted under his steady gaze.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"She thought you were a _dad_ ," Takao reminded them, as though they could have possibly forgotten the fact. He was leaning over the seat to join in the conversation. An argument between two first years had broken out, which was the only thing that saved Midorima from having the whole team find out about _that_. Midorima glanced at Takao, hoping to shut him up.

"Is that a problem?" Midorima questioned, feeling strangely defensive. Kuroko raised his brows slightly.

"No." The bluenette paused then added, "I was wondering if you have any more diapers with you."

"No," Midorima admitted, and obviously he should have packed more.

"I see," Kuroko murmured, and once again Midorima was left wishing he knew _what_ Kuroko saw.

* * *

"This is all your fault!" Midorima grimaced at his mother's greeting. "If you weren't such a weird kid, your father and I wouldn't need to divorce!" The words fell like blows on Midorima, but he fought not to let it show.

"Hello, Mother," he said, slipping his shoes off at the door. "I just need to get changed," he muttered, sliding past her and heading for the dubious sanctuary of his room. He swiftly stripped off his uniform, exchanging it for clothes he could play streetball in. Both Akashi and Murasakibara were coming to their streetball game this week, and Midorima had recently been appreciating the benefits of streetball for people who don't want to be at home. He picked up another couple of diapers from the box before heading to the door. _It's really hard not having my lucky item_ , he thought, comforted. He headed down the stairs where his mother was lying in wait for him.

"What kind of high school boy carries a baby diaper around?" She complained angrily.

"I'll be leaving, then," he told her, not bothering to address the question, and quickly putting on his shoes.

"Your father and I signed the papers today," she growled, apparently not having heard him. Midorima froze mid-step. He had known it was coming, had hoped for it in some ways, but the reality of it settled across his shoulders like a weight.

"Goodbye," he said, not knowing what else to say, and not wanting to stay and be bombarded with accusations. It took him a little over twenty minutes to walk to the court they were meeting at, and Midorima fought to pull himself together before he saw everyone. The odds of him being able to fool Akashi and Kuroko were slim, but they would both wait and talk to him privately, as long as no one else realized there was a problem. As it turned out, that wasn't an issue since Aomine and Kise had apparently been too restless to wait for everyone; they were warming up with a game of one-on-one. Given the intensity of the game, they might not be up for much afterwards. Midorima refrained from pointing that out.

"Hello," Kuroko greeted, leaning back against the fence beside Momoi as Midorima stepped onto the court. He saw the bluenette glance at the diapers he was carrying with a slight smile, and no matter the reason, that smile did him a lot of good.

"Hello," Midorima replied. Something in his tone must have given him away, because the bluenette's eyes sharpened.

"Are you ok?" His voice was soft. Midorima glanced at Momoi, who was apparently engrossed in the game, and answered quietly.

"My parents signed the divorce papers today."

"I'm sorry," Kuroko murmured. And the things was, despite the fact that his family situation was so much _better_ than Kuroko's, the bluenette obviously was sorry.

"Don't be," Midorima refuted. "I wanted this to happen."

"That doesn't mean it's not hard," Kuroko told him, and in the privacy of his own mind, Midorima could acknowledge that for the truth. After standing in silence for a minute, Kuroko offered him a different topic in the form of, "it was very brave of you to give away your lucky item."

"That's what they're for," Midorima scoffed, only realizing what he had said when he saw the way Kuroko honed in on those words.

"That's very nice of you, Midorima-kun." Midorima felt himself blush at the praise, and fidgeted under the bluenette's gaze. Akashi and Murasakibara's arrival saved him from any more awkwardness, and the redhead quickly broke up the one-on-one to allow everyone to play. Midorima found himself on a team with Akashi and Aomine, while Kuroko, Kise, and Murasakibara made up the other. Momoi tossed the ball for them, and they were off.

These teams were almost painfully balanced, and the match became a see-saw of scoring; the moment someone got a point, the other team got it back. Midorima had been playing enough streetball recently not to be surprised by the crowd they drew, although he sincerely hoped their game didn't end up online, again; it had already happened three times, that he knew about. They broke for half-time tied at 71 points, and everyone was panting heavily.

"Damn, Akashi, you're going to kill us," Aomine complained, because obviously his sense of self-preservation was taking a nap.

"A national level basketball player like yourself should be able to handle this much," Akashi scolded, sounding amused. "Perhaps you need to increase your training, if this is a problem."

"I had practice this morning!" Aomine defended.

"So did we, that's why the game was later in the day," Akashi replied cooly. Midorima closed his eyes, resigned. There was something wrong with the fact that Akashi could captain the reigning champions, travel across the country, and still have energy for a game like this. Momoi called them up, and Midorima forced himself to his feet. The second half of the game was as intense as the first, and Momoi stopped them twice to prevent them from over-exerting themselves. When Momoi blew the final whistle and they realized they were tied at 116 points, there was a collective groan.

"I think we'll call it a day," Akashi declared, capturing everyone's attention. Midorima glanced at him, surprised, before following his line of sight. Momoi was applying a damp cloth to Kuroko's forehead, but the bluenette was obviously close to passing out; a full match had always been more than his stamina could handle. Maybe everyone was simply too tired to protest, or maybe Aomine had remembered that challenging Akashi was something best done carefully, but the statement was undisputed. They slowly collected their belongings and left the court, ushered out to the applause of their impromptu audience. Midorima couldn't help the flush that stained his cheeks.

"I had an idea," Aomine announced, as they slowly shuffled along the street.

"Really? Good for you, Aominecchi!" Kise exclaimed, apparently having already recovered his energy.

"Congratulations," Murasakibara drawled, continuing to munch on his snacks.

"What is it? Not that I think it'll be a good idea," Midorima disclaimed, unable to resist joining in. He pushed his glasses up and looked away.

"Did we know he could do that?" Kuroko asked, and Midorima saw him glance at Akashi for confirmation.

"It is a surprise," Akashi agreed, openly amused.

"Would all of you just shut up?!" Aomine snapped. "Even I can have ideas sometimes!"

"I don't think they're good ones, though," Murasakibara voted.

"That's true," Kise agreed. "There was that time Aomine decided to climb through the window in his house because he had missed his curfew, but got the wrong window and found his parents having sex." That story brought his parents divorce to mind, but it hurt less than it had just a few hours ago. He met Kuroko's eyes steadily when the bluenette glanced over, and received a slight smile in reward.

"Don't remind me!" Aomine gaged at the memory.

"I was thinking of that time he tried to convince the cafeteria ladies that-" Aomine cut Kuroko off before he could remind everyone of _that_ particular disaster, although, really, Kuroko had said enough.

"Alright! I give up! I won't tell you, then!" Aomine threw his hands up.

"You shouldn't give up, Aomine-kun," Kuroko scolded seriously. Midorima looked away to hide his smile.

"Then listen to me!"

"I don't feel like it," Kuroko deadpanned, ignoring the strangled sound Aomine made. There was a collection of chuckles at their antics, and Midorima felt his mood lighten. It was good to have friends, he thought, but he would _never_ say that.


	20. Chapter 20

Alright, I tend to judge the success of a chapter by the number of reviews I get about it, which means that the last one was a flop. Hopefully this one will make up for it. (Head's up, it's long!)

BTW - I've broken 125 favourites, 175 follows, and am sitting at 99 reviews (so close!), so I wanted to thank everyone for the support.

* * *

By mutual, unspoken consent, they walked to Kuroko's condo for dinner. Well, more accurately, the five of them walked, with Murasakibara carrying Kuroko in his arms; the bluenette had fainted less than a block from the court. Kuroko had protested the moment he was conscious again, but his complaints fell on deliberately deaf ears. Kise, surrounded by his closest friends, felt his energy recover quickly. Motivated by Kuroko's request for curry, Kise commandeered the kitchen the moment they entered, while the others piled into the living room. To Kise's surprise, Akashi followed him in.

"Akashicchi?" Kise asked, glancing back at him curiously.

"What are you making, Kise?" The redhead asked, leaning against the counter, apparently not having head that part of the discussion, as Kise began pulling out the ingredients for dinner.

"Kurokocchi asked for curry," he answered cheerfully, pleased that Kuroko had made the request of him.

"You know that Aomine and Murasakibara will complain about eating their carrots, right?" Kise couldn't help the slightly smug smile that crossed his face.

"Kurokocchi said that big boys eat their carrots," Kise said. He knew that his prim attitude was entirely ruined by his smirk, but there was no helping that. "Why do you ask? Is Akashicchi going to help?"

"Certainly, " Akashi offered, and Kise whipped his head around to look at the redhead.

"Akashicchi!" Kise exclaimed, honestly beaming. "You're the best!" Not being as stupid as he sometimes looked, Kise made no move to hug the redhead. It wasn't until the two of them had pulled out the ingredients and began preparing, that Akashi brought up the real purpose of the conversation.

"I hear your lessons are going well," he murmured. Kise paused in the process of cutting an onion.

"They are," he agreed neutrally, not looking at Akashi.

"Would you be willing to take more?"

"If Akashicchi believes it's necessary," Kise hedged. Since Akashi was paying for them, it was a reasonable response.

"I'm hoping it won't be necessary, but it's best to be prepared," Akashi informed him. "Would you be willing to travel for them?" The question made Kise hesitate.

"I'd prefer not to be away for long periods of time," he finally replied. Akashi nodded, apparently having anticipated that response.

"But a week would be fine?" Kise glanced at him, curious about Akashi's plan.

"A week would be fine," he agreed. The two worked in silence for a few more minutes.

"Kise-kun? Akashi-kun?" Kuroko's quiet voice drew them out of their musings. "Do you need any help?" Kise winced.

"Kurokocchi!" He exclaimed. "You need to be resting!" Kuroko's chin jutted out slightly, and Kise knew he was pushing the wrong way.

"How did you get them settled?" Akashi deflected, to Kise's relief. Kuroko narrowed his eyes, obviously aware of Akashi's tactic, but he was too polite to ignore the question outright.

"I still tape the NBA games," Kuroko said, which really was explanation enough.

"Tetsu-kun! Ki-chan! Akashi-kun!" Momoi's voice froze all three of them as she joined them in the kitchen. _No_ , Kise thought, emphatically. Momocchi was great, but her cooking was _no_. He knew that outright refusal would only make her more stubborn though, so his visceral reaction was out.

"Ah, Momoicchi, the kitchen's getting crowded," he said, fighting to keep his composure, "maybe you could go out and make sure the others don't get into any trouble?"

"But-" she objected, looking crestfallen. Kise would have felt bad, but the situation was too serious for sentiment.

"Sorry," Aomine interrupted, poking his head in to their great relief, "she got away from me. Come on, Satsuki. No one wants to be poisoned today." _Did we ever?_ Kise kept the question to himself.

"Dai-chan!" She protested, but allowed herself to be led away with minimal fuss after giving Kuroko a hug. Kise let out a breath once the danger had passed.

Akashi set down the knife and stepped into the bluenette's personal space, obviously aiming for some privacy. Kuroko raised his brows slightly, but made no move to stop Akashi. Kise glanced at them then kept cooking, giving them the illusion of privacy, at least.

"Have you tried talking to Ogiwara?" Kise fought not to react to that name, since he hadn't been expecting to hear it.

"About what?" Kuroko asked, sounding cautious.

"The things you aren't willing to talk to me about," Akashi replied, raising countless questions for Kise. "You two have patched things up, right?" Kise assumed Kuroko nodded, because Akashi continued. "The things you can't talk to us about...maybe you can talk to him."

"...thank you," Kuroko eventually said. "I hadn't thought of that." Kise glanced over to see Akashi reach out and brush his thumb across the bluenette's cheek, eliciting a light blush. Kise discreetly swooned at the expression on Kuroko's face; if Akashi saw him, well, he wasn't ready to die, yet.

"I'm sorry we hurt your friend," the redhead murmured, and Kise had to stop himself from leaping in to agree. Pretending not to be in the room was _hard_.

"I know." Kuroko's voice was steady as he replied and held Akashi's eyes.

"You should stay with your guests," Akashi suggested after a moment. Kuroko's gaze bounced between Kise and Akashi, apparently realizing that something was going on, before nodding his consent.

"Thank you, Akashi-kun. Let me know if you need anything." Akashi nodded, and Kise refocused on dinner.

"Do you have any preferences?" Akashi asked Kise, as they settled back into their work. Kise shook his head, aware that they weren't talking about food.

"I'll let Akashicchi judge what will be the most useful." Akashi nodded his head, seemingly satisfied, and helped get the curry simmering. It took them a little over an hour to cook the curry; even with Kuroko ensconced in the living room, they'd tossed Aomine out of the kitchen three times, and Murasakibara out once, before they plated the food.

* * *

Slowly, fatigue set in, and when Midorima reluctantly excused himself, Akashi stood up with him. Once again, they headed out together, and Akashi silently led Midorima up to the penthouse. Midorima didn't demur, so he'd obviously been expecting this.

Every time Akashi walked into the penthouse, he felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. The space was his, untainted by his father, and Midorima was the only guest he had ever brought in. That would change, of course, but the peace of the place was something he carried in his bones. It was his _home_. Instead of moving directly to the shogi board, Akashi led Midorima around the elevator shaft, past the kitchen, to the living quarters. Indicating a door, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a swipe key.

"This one is yours," he said quietly, and under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed the look of open-mouthed shock Midorima gifted him with.

"Akashi..." Midorima glanced between him and the row of doors he was facing. Akashi watched as the greenette counted them in silence.

"There's a bed inside," Akashi told him quietly. "I can give you a budget for furniture, or you can bring your own. I didn't want to presume." Words which would have been beyond him a year ago now fell easily form his lips.

"This is... your space," Midorima murmured, apparently mesmerized by the closed door. Akashi hadn't doubted that he had made the right decision, but the warmth that spread through his chest at Midorima's concern was something he would hold onto for years in the future.

"I never intended to keep it to myself," Akashi replied, keeping his voice steady. Midorima glanced at the other doors.

"I can... see that." Even so, the greenette made no move to open the door. He gave his friend the time he needed to make his decision.

"It's not wrong to take what you want, if no one else is hurt," Akashi assured his hopelessly awkward friend, after a few minutes with only the sound of the traffic outside.

"And if someone is?" Midorima's voice almost shook, and in it Akashi could hear his friend's _longing_.

"Your mother doesn't deserve to have you as her punching bag." Akashi didn't mince his words, because you couldn't, really, with Midorima.

"She's my mother," Midorima answered, as though that would say everything, and in some ways, it did.

"Yes," Akashi agreed, "and if you want to feel that way about her in a decade, then you need some space now."

"You... think I can work things out with her?" The greenette's eyes were soft with hope.

"In time, yes."

"Unlike you and your father," Midorima said perceptively. Akashi ignored the pain that lanced through him at the comment, since it added nothing to the conversation.

"Unlike my father and I," Akashi agreed.

"She wasn't always like this," Midorima told him, as if Akashi didn't know that already.

"I know," Akashi assured him, because it mattered to Midorima.

"Once my father began cheating..." Midorima trailed away. Akashi refrained from pointing out to Midorima that he needn't have told his mom; it would have sounded too much like an accusation at this point. "The divorce was inevitable, after that." Akashi stayed silent, because sometimes that was what Midorima needed most. "...I'll talk to her," he eventually said. He reached out, finally taking the key from Akashi's outstretched hand, and when their eyes met, Akashi knew his friend had accepted more than the key. Midorima turned away, then hesitated. "Can I come back tonight?"

"Of course," Akashi said with a smile, knowing that this was just the beginning.

* * *

Kise straddled Kuroko on the bed, his hands sliding up and down the bare flesh. When Kise had offered a back massage after the others had left, Kuroko had to restrain himself from _leaping_ at the model. There was no way around it; Kise's hands were _magic_ , and Kuroko couldn't help the groan that slipped past his lips.

"Ah," he murmured as Kise tackled a particularly tough knot. He really _had_ overdone it, but... it was just so nice, playing with everyone again.

"Feel good, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked, sounding smug. Kuroko cracked an eye open to glare at him, but since Kise didn't immediately start crying, it must not have been a very good glare. He sighed and felt himself begin to doze off under Kise's ministrations. He could distantly hear Murasakibara getting ready for bed, but otherwise it was just him and Kise left in the condo.

"Kurokocchi?" Kise eventually spoke. Kuroko hummed his awareness. "Do you miss Seirin?" Kise's hands paused, but Kuroko didn't move.

"Yes," he answered honestly, "but I missed all of you more." He opened his eyes in time to see Kise tear up.

"I'm sorry." The blond, with tears sliding slowly down his face, looked almost too beautiful, to Kuroko; no one should look that good crying.

"I know," Kuroko replied, struggling to roll over and comfort his friend, because Kise had left all his pretences behind. "Don't cry, Kise-kun." Once he was on his back, he reached up and drew Kise down for a hug. The model nestled into him.

"I like Kurokocchi the most," Kise murmured, his face buried in Kuroko's neck.

"Do you?" Kuroko asked, tightening his arms slightly to let Kise know that he wasn't going to let him get away this time. After a minute Kise laughed sadly.

"You're so unfair, Kurokocchi," Kise complained, pulling back so they could look at each other. "You know I do." Kuroko reached up and brushed the drying tears form Kise's face.

"Yes," he mused softly, "I guess I do." They held each other's gaze until Kise dipped his head down and kissed Kuroko. His lips brushed across Kuroko's and the bluenette, already relaxed from the massage, felt himself melt. _Everything is so different with people who cherish me_ , he thought, almost crying himself. Kuroko moved his lips in invitation, and felt Kise's breath catch before he deepened the kiss. Kuroko didn't know how long their tongues tangled, clumsily in his case, before he became aware of Murasakibara standing in the doorway. He pushed slightly, and Kise pulled back, looking as dazed as he felt.

"Eh?" Murasakibara asked, glancing between them. "Kise-chin and Kuro-chin were kissing," he summarized, because that really needed to be said. Now that Kuroko was more aware, of the kiss, of Murasakibara, of the way Kise was still straddling his hips, he blushed heavily.

"Sorry, Kurokocchi," Kise said, standing up and sounding heartbreakingly uncertain.

"Don't be," Kuroko replied instantly, unable to stop himself from reaching out. "You didn't do anything I didn't want you to." Kise looked at him for a long moment before smiling, clearly relieved.

"I'll head out, then,Kurokocchi, Murasakibaracchi," he said, giving Kuroko a kiss on the cheek and nodding to Murasakibara. Once Kuroko closed the door behind the model, he turned to see Murasakibara looking at him.

"Did Kuro-chin have fun?"

"Um," Kuroko replied, not sure if the giant was talking about the game or Kise's kiss. Fighting to keep his face blank, and thankful that it was Murasakibara, not Akashi, waiting for an answer, Kuroko settled for, "yes. Are you ready for bed?" Murasakibara nodded, apparently accepting the non-answer.

"Will Kuro-chin tuck me in?" Kuroko sighed, used to Murasakibara's demands, and led the centre back to the guest room. Murasakibara snuggled into the blankets and, lying down, looked strangely adorable.

"Good night, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko murmured, turning away.

"Where's my goodnight kiss?" Murasakibara asked, looking totally innocent. Kuroko paused and stared at him. "It's no fair if only Kise-chin gets one," Murasakibara pouted. Kuroko wouldn't have described the kiss he had with Kise as a goodnight kiss, given the way it had heated his blood, but he wasn't entirely prepared to explain that to Murasakibara. Sighing, he leaned over the bed and brushed his lips across Murasakibara's cheek. Murasakibara reached out as Kuroko pulled away, and gently holding Kuroko's neck, kissed the bluenette full on the lips. The kiss was shorter and more chaste than the one he had shared with the blond, but Kuroko was still stunned when he pulled back.

"Goodnight, Murasakibara-kun," he said, a little unsteadily.

"Goodnight, Kuro-chin," Murasakibara murmured, evidently perfectly pleased with himself. Kuroko turned out the lights, softly closed the door, then fumbled for his phone.

"Hello?" Ogiwara's voice cut through Kuroko's rising panic.

"Um," he said, because intelligible answers were currently beyond him.

"Kuroko? Is something wrong?" The concern in Ogiwara's voiced prompted him to find words, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Am I in an alternate universe?" Because really, that was the only thing that would make sense. Ogiwara snorted.

"Kuroko, I know you make up crazy scenarios when you're stressed, so how about you just tell me what's going on?"

"I kissed Murasakibara-kun. And Kise-kun. And Aomine-kun and Momoi-san have both confessed to me," Kuroko couldn't stop the words from coming out in a rush. They'd been building, and building, and he felt like things were spinning out of his control at an impossible rate. He had no idea what was going on anymore. There was a pause and the Ogiwara began _laughing_. Kuroko frowned, not seeing the humour. The longer Ogiwara's laughter drew out, the more pronounced Kuroko's frown became.

"Aha," Ogiwara finally said, getting ahold of himself, "I always knew you were the best."

"I'm so confused," Kuroko confess, because for once he really needed to talk to someone.

"I guess so," Ogiwara replied, still sounding entertained. "Tell me what's happened." Kuroko took a deep breath and tried to talk. It wasn't something he did, and he wasn't very good at it, so it came out disjointed and awkward, but eventually Ogiwara sighed in understanding. "Well, that's sure something. Do you have any idea who you like?"

"Uh, no," Kuroko admitted, because that really was the crux of the matter.

"Tell me about them," Ogiwara suggested. "You're with Midorima, now, right? What's he like?" Kuroko paused and thought about the question.

"He's awkward," Kuroko began, tentatively feeling his way through the words, "he is devoted to Oha-Asa, and... He doesn't really care what other people think of him." Kuroko paused then corrected that. "No, it's just that he's not willing to pretend to be anything he isn't. He's always determined to do what he believes in, whether it's carrying his lucky items around or discreetly helping others..." Kuroko trailed away.

"Kuroko?" Ogiwara prompted after a minute.

"Sorry, I was thinking about diapers," Kuroko replied.

"Well," Ogiwara said, "I guess weird can be charming."

"Yes," Kuroko mused, having learned so much about Midorima since starting at Shutoku. "I suppose it can."

"I was talking about you." Ogiwara's wry tone brought a frown to Kuroko's face. "What else can you tell me about him?"

"He's...innocent," Kuroko concluded. "He's always so baffled by the fronts others put up, and so hopelessly vulnerable to their deception," Kuroko's voice grew soft as he considered it.

"I think I can see why he likes you," Ogiwara said, completely puzzling Kuroko.

"Why?"

"Because you tell the truth, even when everyone wishes you wouldn't. You don't hold back, but you don't use your honesty like a weapon, either." Kuroko felt himself blush at the assessment.

"What about the others?" Kuroko slowly confided in Ogiwara, and the night progressed as Kuroko worked through his feelings for his former team. "These don't sound like the people I played against," Ogiwara eventually commented.

"They aren't, really," Kuroko agreed, feeling _so_ happy about that.

"You make them sound really amazing," Ogiwara commented.

"They are," Kuroko agreed, having calmed down. Talking to Ogiwara hadn't given him any answers, but he was more at peace than he had been in weeks. "Thanks, Ogiwara-kun."

"No problem, Kuroko. Thanks for confiding in me."


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry it took me a while to get this chapter out! I am, as I've said before, review powered, so when I only got a few (VERY enthusiastic, thank you) reviews for chapter 20, I was a little discouraged (I was SO SURE you guys would love it!). The reviews have slowly come in however, so thank you to all of you who wrote. This chapter is a change of pace, so sorry to those who will be disappointed by that. I hope you enjoy it regardless.

P.S. Telling me _what_ you like about the story is even more helpful than telling me that you like it! Thanks again for the reviews!

* * *

"Excuse me, Midorima-kun." A girl from first year called out tentatively from the doorway. She was blushing prettily, and everyone in the class, who had been getting ready to go home, turned to stare at her; a girl calling Midorima out was _unheard of_. "Kise Ryouta-kun is waiting for you at the front gates." _Ah, of course, that explains it_ , Midorima acknowledged. The girls in his class squealed in excitement, and pushed past the messenger in their haste to get close to the model. Midorima was left glancing around in astonishment; people were always so _strange_ when it came to Kise.

"Are you alright?" Kuroko asked the girl, materializing directly in front of her and making her scream in fright. Midorima sighed. Kuroko hadn't even been _trying_.

"Um, yes," she replied, clearly off balance.

"Thank you," Midorima said solemnly, as he picked up his iron and book bag and headed for the door. Kuroko appeared beside him, and Takao caught up moments later.

"So mean, Shin-chan! You could have waited!" Midorima ignored that, and kept walking. Finding Kise was always so easy because he was inevitably surrounded by a hoard of girls; nothing had changed there.

"Kurokocchi! Midorimacchi! Takao!" Kise called out with a cheery wave, spotting them from the midst of his entourage. The model glanced at his fans, and with practiced skill got them to disperse. With basketball practice cancelled due to mid-terms, they had planned to study together, but Midorima had the uncanny suspicion that their plans were about to be high-jacked.

"We could pretend we didn't hear him," Kuroko suggested quietly to Midorima. Despite the fact that Takao was already waving back happily, Midorima considered the option with care.

"It's tempting," he agreed, although neither of them had slowed their steps.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed as they approached, hugging the bluenette tightly.

"I can't breathe, Kise-kun," Kuroko said, giving Kise a mere second to fix that before using an Ignite Pass on him.

"That hurt!" Kise wailed. "I've missed you, Kurokocchi!"

"We just saw each other on the weekend." Kuroko's voice sounded normal, but his face was crimson. _What happened?_ Midorima wondered, glancing between the two, and noticing the faint tint on Kise's cheeks. Midorima had been so preoccupied with his parents' divorce and moving into Akashi's condo that he hadn't noticed any developments between Kuroko and Kise. Well, he may not have realized regardless, it wasn't one of his strengths.

"What are you doing at Shutoku, Kise?" Takao asked, breaking the tension.

"Ah! I came to get Midorimacchi!" Midorima froze, overcome by a sense of dread. There was only _one_ thing he and Kise did together, and that was...

"Why?" He asked, hoping, for once, that he was wrong.

"Eh? I found a great new manicurist-" Kise babbled happily, apparently unaware of the way the blood drained from Midorima's face at the words.

"No!" Midorima interrupted forcefully. Takao and Kuroko both stared at him in shock. It was unlike him to be so vehement in his responses, so their reaction wasn't a surprise, but they didn't _understand_.

"Eh?" Kise asked, looking innocently puzzled. "But Midorimacchi, your nails looked so _good_ last time we went for a manicure together!"

"They did not!" Midorima denied. Just the _memory_ of that was too much.

"They were super cute!" Kise insisted.

"She drew carrots on my nails, Kise! _Carrots_!" Those words sent Takao into a fit of laughter, and Kuroko seemed to actually be shaking with the effort not to join in, but Midorima was too focused on stopping Kise to deal with those two.

"That's because with your green hair and orange jersey-"

"Don't say it, Kise!"

"You look like a carrot!" Takao finished the sentence for the blond, roaring with laughter. "Finally, someone _gets_ it!"

"I do not!" Midorima objected, feeling himself blush in embarrassment. Kuroko seemed to have gotten ahold of himself, but anyone familiar with him could see the suppressed amusement in his eyes. Takao, on the other hand, had simply collapsed to the floor laughing.

"This one won't draw carrots, Midorimacchi!" Kise assured him, as if that would make everything alright.

"I don't want anything drawn on my nails, Kise!" Midorima dug his heels in, determined.

"Don't be like that, Midorimacchi!" Kise easily dismissed Midorima's objections and grabbed his hand. "Let's go!"

"Have a nice time, Midorima-kun," Kuroko said blandly, causing Midorima to snap his head around and stare at Kuroko in outrage.

"Kuroko!" Midorima protested. _Why is it so hard to hold my ground with these guys?_ Midorima thought, already anticipating how this would end.

"I've already booked our appointments, so we've got to hurry." _Appointments?_ Midorima wondered uneasily. _Kise must be referring to two manicures, not any other sort of appointments. Right?_

"Have fun, Shin-chan!" Takao added, wiping tears from his eyes. Kise towed Midorima along for more than a block before trusting the greenette to walk by himself. They moved quickly to avoid letting Kise's fans swarm, although Midorima let Kise choose the path; he had no idea where they were going, after all.

"I heard Midorimacchi is living in the same building as Kurokocchi," Kise eventually commented, without looking at him. Midorima frowned.

"Akashi owns the penthouse," he explained. "Since my parents are getting a divorce, he offered to let me stay." Kise chuckled slightly, but it lacked the blond's trademark energy.

"Yeah, Kurokocchi was pretty worked up when he found out that Akashicch and Murasakibaracchi could have had their own rooms upstairs instead of staying with him all the time." Midorima thought that was a perfectly reasonable response. Before he could say as much, though, Kise swung around to face him, meeting his eyes squarely. "I kissed Kuroko." Midorima froze at the words, his heart racing as he imagined _himself_ capturing the bluenette's beautiful lips.

"...How did it happen?" He asked, a little hoarse.

"I gave him a back rub, and..." Midorima idly wondered if he should have taken advantage of all the leg massages he had given Kuroko and kissed his way up those flawed, beautiful legs.

"You don't need to tell me this," he said instead.

"We're sharing, so I won't hide," Kise disagreed. "This won't work if we can't be honest amongst ourselves."

"...That's not one of my strengths," Midorima finally admitted, causing Kise to choke.

"You aren't good at hiding things," Kise assured him, as though that was a good thing. "We know you." And those words were a strange sort of balm to Midorima; to be known and accepted anyway was not a small thing.

* * *

Akashi faced Ogiwara, the last conversation they had had, just before the championship game in middle school, echoing loudly in the empty school corridor. Akashi had heard that Ogiwara stayed late after kendo practice, and had timed his arrival accordingly. With Ogiwara now living in Kyoto, it was inevitable that Kuroko would be spending a lot of time with the brunette in two months time, so it was best to make amends now.

"I wanted to apologize," Akashi said, taking the initiative. "What I said before, what I did as captain, was.. uncalled for."

"Yes, it was," Ogiwara agreed, obviously disinclined to make things easier on Akashi. Well, Akashi had expected that.

"You don't think you have a reason to forgive me," Akashi continued, "but you're wrong." Ogiwara frowned at him. "You need to forgive me, and the others, for Kuroko's sake."

"How so?"

"Kuroko blamed us, at first, for what happened, but I convinced him that it was as much his fault as ours." Ogiwara's face darkened at that admission, and Akashi didn't blame him. Not, of course, that he would allow his regret to show. "He had not argued when we toyed with other teams, although it bothered him, which I felt meant that he did not have the right to complain when we toyed with yours."

"That's not true!" Ogiwara snapped instantly. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Oh?" Akashi replied, raising an eyebrow. People had accused Akashi of a _lot_ of things in his life, but that was a new one. Of course, other people had survival instincts. "Enlighten me."

"I was his first friend! Until he met you guys, I was his _only_ friend!" Akashi had suspected as much, but it was good to have confirmation. "Of course he didn't want to loose his first group of friends! Anyone would be scared under those circumstances! It's not his fault! Even at the time, I knew it wasn't his fault!" The brunette was getting agitated defending Kuroko, something Akashi took note of for future reference.

"I agree," Akashi interjected smoothly, cutting off Ogiwara's rant, "but Kuroko can be stubborn, and now that I put that idea in his head, it's quite difficult to convince him otherwise. As long as you suffer, he will too." Ogiwara stared at him in silence for a long moment.

"Why did you do it?" The brunette finally asked. Akashi had been expecting the question.

"We were... bored," Akashi acknowledged. "In most games we competed amongst ourselves for points, but even that was loosing its' appeal." Ogiwara grimaced at that, but never took his eyes off Akashi's.

"That's not all of it, is it? Is it because Kuroko and I were friends?" Ogiwara sounded almost guilty saying that, and it was Akashi's turn to fall silent. Given Kuroko's profound affection for both Aomine and Kagami, Akashi had long since accepted that Kuroko had a soft spot for stupid guys; it made Ogiwara's perception all the more surprising.

"Is that all you wanted to be?" Akashi asked, stalling. "Friends?" Colour rose in Ogiwara's cheeks, answering the question for him.

"What about you?" Ogiwara snapped defiantly. "How do you look at Kuroko?" _Yes_ , Akashi mused, _Ogiwara clearly has underdeveloped survival instincts._

"When I realized he wasn't safe at home, I got him out of there," Akashi replied sharply, disinclined to let Ogiwara speak to him like that. The way Ogiwara froze told Akashi everything he needed to know about that topic. "So you knew something was wrong."

"No, I..." Guilt clouded his features. "I didn't _know_."

"You suspected," Akashi said, and the words fell like the accusation they were.

"I... yes, I suspected. Kuroko never told me anything, I just... I got the impression that he played streetball because it was cheap - free, really, since I always brought the ball - and the longer he practiced, the less he was home."

"But you didn't do anything to help him," Akashi pointed out ruthlessly, "and you threw Kuroko away." He realized then that Ogiwara was not the only one struggling with forgiveness, because throwing Kuroko away was something he really _couldn't_ forgive.

"So did you! How do you think he felt on a team that never passed?"

"He was still _on_ the team," Akashi felt his temper stir. How could people not understand something so simple? Akashi had his choice of over _one hundred_ players, but even though other players were technically stronger than Kuroko, even though they might have gained more points with someone else on the court, Kuroko was too important to _them_ to be removed. "We never threw him away."

"What kind of apology is this?!" Ogiwara burst out. "What right do you have to tell me what I should have done?!"

"I was considering asking you to join us next weekend, since we often gather to play streetball," Akashi answered, forcing his temper back, and keeping his voice mild, "but I'd like to know what sort of person you are before I include you." Ogiwara stared at him slack-jawed.

"You want me to play _with_ you? Who is playing?"

"The six of us often gather, although Kagami from Seirin and Takao from Shutoku occasionally join us," Akashi explained.

"The six of us meaning the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko?" Akashi frowned at Ogiwara's phrasing.

"Kuroko is one of us."

"That's not what most people think." Akashi shrugged, honestly unconcerned with what other people thought. "That's not what Kuroko thinks, either." That made Akashi pause, because that _did_ matter.

"We play full length three-on-three games," Akashi informed him, setting aside Kuroko's misconception for another time, since Ogiwara seemed to be considering his offer.

"That... would be exhausting." Akashi nodded.

"I would like Kuroko to be able to take more breaks, but we need a seventh player for that." Ogiwara stared at him, apparently suspecting a that there was trap somewhere in there.

"Why did you crush my team?" Ogiwara asked again. Akashi gazed at him, realizing that Ogiwara would not agree to play with them without the full answer. Knowing what it would _mean_ to Kuroko to have Ogiwara join them, Akashi forced himself to swallow his pride.

"I was jealous," Akashi admitted with feigned nonchalance, watching Ogiwara jerk in surprise at the admission. "When he realized that we would be facing you in the finals, he asked to start," Akashi told Ogiwara; not sure if he would understand the importance of that statement, Akashi continued, "it was the first time, in the two years that he had played with us, that he made such a request." Ogiwara's face softened. "I'd never seen him so excited. I knew about your promise, and I wasn't willing to watch you take him away. You hold a place in his heart so easily."

"Kuroko doesn't know that you like him," Ogiwara commented.

"I know," Akashi replied. "I'll probably confess next weekend. There are a few things I need talk about with him."

"You just..." Ogiwara seemed nonplussed by Akashi's casual admission. Akashi smiled.

"You have crumbs on your cheek," he added, turning and heading out the way he came.


	22. Chapter 22

RATING CHANGED!

Which is why this chapter took so long despite your absolutely _amazing_ support. To all of you who gave me such thoughtful and lovely reviews for the last chapter, you have my _profound_ gratitude. The main reason for the delay in posting this is that it's my first shot at smut, so I've been pretty doubtful on my skills. With your support, I think I'm going to work on the assumption that practice makes perfect; I guess I'll just need to write more. =)

Also, une vie faite de traduction has asked to translate this into French, which I am super flattered by and will be following, once it goes up. Translation is a lot of work, so for anyone who can read French, I encourage you to check it out.

* * *

There were basketballs on Midorima's nails. It was better than carrots, but not by much. Midorima had resolved to _kill_ Kise at the next opportunity. Tomorrow, at their weekly game. In the meantime, Takao had suggested that the two of them go to the roof for some privacy while Kuroko returned some library books. Midorima had simply assumed that Takao had a headache and wanted to eat lunch quietly, but his friend had made no move to sit down.

"Midorima," Takao said, causing Midorima's head to whip around in surprise. Takao _never_ called him that. "I need you to dump me." Midorima stared at his friend, trying to understand. Takao, apparently seeing his confusion, laughed sadly. "You're so oblivious, aren't you, Shin-chan?" Midorima would have felt better about Takao calling him by his weird nickname, if the latter didn't look so wistful doing it.

"I don't know what you mean," Midorima replied, trying to sound normal. Takao looked at him for a moment before sighing.

"Alright. I'm going to confess, then I need you to dump me." Midorima stared at Takao in shock.

"Confess?" Midorima asked, because Takao _couldn't_ mean what he thought he meant.

"Yeah. Shin-chan..." Takao's voice cracked, and the sound shook Midorima. "I thought I could hang in there and be your best friend, but... I can't. At least, not right now." Takao took a deep breath, then met Midorima's eyes. "I love you, Midorima."

"Takao..." Midorima's voice trailed away. No one had ever confessed to him before, and he had no idea how to respond. Takao smiled sadly at him, tears he refused to shed clouding his eyes.

"I always knew that Kuroko was special to you." Midorima winced at the baldly stated words. "From the first time we met, you were chasing after him." A blush covered Midorima's cheeks at that, but he forced himself to keep his mouth shut since Takao was clearly struggling to speak; it was a rare problem for his friend. "I just... I started to hope that you could move on."

"Move on?" Midorima prodded, when Takao remained silent.

"I thought we could have something together," Takao confessed, "but you can't let go of Kuroko, can you?"

"I.." Midorima hesitated. "No," he eventually admitted. "I can't." Seeing the tears finally spill down Takao's cheeks, Midorima wanted to say something, to do something, to make it all better for him.

"Are you going to confess?"

"..Yes," Midorima acknowledged, because Takao's tears deserved the truth, even if it was hard.

"...That's good," Takao said, making absolutely no sense to Midorima. "The others like him, too, don't they?" Midorima nodded, finding safety in silence. _The only words you're guaranteed to never need to unsay are the ones you don't say in the first place_ , he reminded himself. "You'll have a lot of competition, Shin-chan."

"No, we're..." How did you explain this? But Takao's tears continued falling like clear blood on his face, and all Midorima could see was his friend's pain. "We're going to share." That seemed to startle Takao enough for the tears to stop, at least temporarily.

"Share? You mean..."

"Yes," Midorima agreed, understanding Takao's disbelief.

"Shin-chan, are you sure about this?" Seeing Takao so genuinely concerned for him warmed Midorima's heart. _How selfish_ , he scolded himself, _appreciating his concern when you're causing him so much pain_.

"I'm sure," Midorima said, and he was.

"It'll be hard," Takao warned.

"I know," Midorima agreed, because he really did. They stared at each other in silence; Midorima memorizing everything about Takao as he stood there before him. Takao stepped forward, and Midorima didn't move away when Takao brushed his lips across his. "That was my first kiss," he told Takao, knowing that would mean something to him. Predictably, Takao blushed at the words, bare inches between them.

"I need you to dump me now, Shin-chan." Takao's voice wavered as he said that. Midorima forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I can't answer your feelings," he said with a shallow bow; there wasn't enough space between them for more. He stayed bowed for a minute, only straightening out when Takao turned away. Watching Takao walk away, Midorima felt his heart break just a little. _There must be dust in my eyes_ , he told himself, as they began to sting.

* * *

"Kuroko, there's something I'd like you to consider," Akashi said seriously. Recognizing the tone, Kuroko gave the redhead his full attention. Akashi and Murasakibara had arrived for the weekend a short while ago, but since Murasakibara had headed straight out to hunt for snacks, it was just the Akashi and Kuroko in the living room. Kuroko had been irritated to find out that he had been correct in assuming that Akashi had another condo in the building, but was glad the redhead had offered a room to Midorima. They all knew what Midorima's family was like; it was good for him to have some space during the divorce. "Instead of choosing to go out with one of us," wait, one of _us_ , "you could go out with all of us." Kuroko sat still as the words bounced around in his head, trying to make sense of them. After staring at Akashi for a few minutes in silence, Kuroko turned and impassively headed to the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Akashi asked, having nonchalantly followed him in.

"Cleaning my ears," Kuroko replied calmly, "since I obviously didn't hear you right." Akashi chuckled, placing his hands on Kuroko's hips and holding him still in front of the mirror.

"You heard me," Akashi whispered into Kuroko's ear, making the bluenette shiver. He met Akashi's eyes in the mirror. "Have you ever considered having several lovers?"

"I don't understand," Kuroko eventually commented. Akashi closed in on the bluenette, moulding himself to Kuroko's back. Kuroko found the sensation unexpectedly... pleasant.

"Aomine, Momoi, and Kise have all confessed to you, haven't they?" Kuroko nodded, mesmerized by the picture they made in the mirror. They were almost the same height, so their faces were side by side in the mirror: Akashi's bright red hair and eyes and stunning contrast to his pale blue ones. "Who's your favourite?"

"I-" Kuroko lost his train of thought as Akashi slid his hands under Kuroko's shirt, and began sliding the cloth up, slowly revealing his skin until all of the material was caught under his arms; his chest, sculpted from endless hours of training, was on display for Akashi's sharp eyes. Kuroko's breath quickened and he felt himself arch up, as though trying to show off. Embarrassed, he blushed vividly. Akashi chuckled and nipped his ear.

"Do you have a favourite?" Akashi questioned, his warm breath causing Kuroko's breath to catch.

"No," Kuroko murmured, watching Akashi hold his shirt up with one hand while letting the other explore the revealed flesh. Kuroko shivered at the sensation, so exposed before Akashi's gaze.

"Why not?" Akashi held his eyes and gently bit down on the side of Kuroko's neck, making his pulse pound.

" _Akashi-kun_ ," Kuroko moaned.

"Why not?" Akashi repeated, liking the spot he had just bitten, never looking away from Kuroko's reflection.

"They're different," Kuroko breathlessly forced himself to answer, even though he was already half hard. Akashi had, of course, noticed that.

"Enjoying yourself?" The redhead asked, his tone amused, his eyes smouldering. He looked so pleased with himself that Kuroko would have scolded him if he could concentrate long enough to do so. "Need help?" Akashi asked, sliding his hand down, to run just along the top of Kuroko's pants. Kuroko saw the question in Akashi's eyes, and forced himself to nod. The fact that he knew Akashi would back off if he said no was what gave him the strength to allow it.

"Yes," he breathed. Triumph and joy lit Akashi's eyes.

"Hold the shirt up," he instructed, and Kuroko blushed as he reached for it. With two hands, Akashi slid his pants and boxer down. Neither Akashi nor Kuroko had looked away from the mirror, as Kuroko as was fully exposed. Akashi unhesitatingly wrapped his hand around Kuroko's cock and began pumping it firmly.

" _Akashi-kun_ ," Kuroko groaned.

"Hmm," Akashi murmured, as though he didn't know exactly what Kuroko wanted.

" _More_ ," Kuroko begged, bucking his hips into Akashi's hand, " _please_." Wordlessly, Akashi bit Kuroko's neck and increased his speed until Kuroko came, splattering against the sink and mirror. Akashi's eyes had never wavered from his reflection, and Kuroko was left leaning against the redhead, panting with exhaustion. After a moment, he convinced his hands to release the shirt he was clutching, and it slid back down. "Akashi-kun," Kuroko murmured, finally realizing what he had been feeling against his back.

"Shh," Akashi soothed, wrapping his arms around the exhausted bluenette. He had never come so hard before. "You don't need to do anything."

"But-" Kuroko protested, turning.

"Today was about you," Akashi assured him, looking entirely pleased. "There will be other opportunities for you to...help me." Wicked amusement shone in Akashi's eyes and Kuroko's blush, which had been subsiding, returned full force.

"Do you like me?" Kuroko questioned, examining Akashi's expression carefully.

"Yes," Akashi said, kissing Kuroko lightly before leaning back, "but why don't you get cleaned up and we can discuss this after?" Which was when Kuroko realized that his pants and boxers were currently caught between his knees.

"Out," Kuroko snapped, embarrassed, as though Akashi hadn't just made him come. Akashi laughed, but gave him a kiss and privacy to clean up. Kuroko took a quick shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, not having brought a change of clothes to the bathroom.

"Well, this is a sight I could certainly get used to," Akashi smirked, comfortably sprawled on Kuroko's bed.

"Close your eyes," Kuroko scolded. Akashi chuckled, but did as told. "Ok," Kuroko said once he was dressed. Akashi opened his eyes, and all Kuroko could see in them was warmth and happiness. He hesitated a moment before sitting next to the redhead on his bed. "What was that all about?"

"I like you," Akashi answered, "and I want you to consider dating all of us."

"Isn't that wrong?" Kuroko questioned, doubtfully.

"If no one is hurt by it, why would it be wrong? Because other people say so?" Akashi replied, forcing Kuroko to consider the question.

"Who is 'all of us'?" He set aside the more difficult question to work through on his own.

"Momoi-san, Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, Murasakibara-kun, and myself, most likely," Akashi answered. "But in the end, you have to decide who your lovers are."

"Not who my lover is?"

"Could you choose just one of us?" Akashi turned the question back on him. "Kuroko, this doesn't have to happen right away; just do what feels right to you. We'll wait."

"That's waiting?" Kuroko asked rhetorically, causing Akashi to chuckle. Turning more sober, Kuroko added, "no one has ever..." His voice trailed away. "I'm used to people touching me," he continued, as if Akashi wasn't fully aware of the fact, " but no one has ever been concerned with my pleasure."

"I know," Akashi assured him, "but we aren't them. That's why today was about you, Kuroko. You're beautiful and erotic," Kuroko blushed again hearing that, "but we treasure you as a _person_."

"I'm surprised that Akashi-kun would suggest such a thing," Kuroko stated, turning the conversation away from Akashi's bold praises.

"I wouldn't have a year ago," Akashi admitted, allowing the change in topic. "Before, I wanted you to myself."

"I... didn't know that," Kuroko commented.

"I know," Akashi said, "but my priorities have changed now."

"Akashi-kun doesn't want me now?" Kuroko asked, puzzled, because that didn't seem to fit with their conversation at all.

"I want you to be happy more than I want you all to myself," Akashi clarified, unperturbed.

"I see," Kuroko muttered, considering.

"Before, when I went to Rakuzan, I couldn't accept that you weren't there so I got Mayuzumi to play like you. But he wasn't you, and he never could be."

"It was unkind of you to use him like that, Akashi-kun," Kuroko chided.

"I know," Akashi agreed. "I apologized to him after loosing to you. He said I should stop being an idiot and confess to you."

"He called Akashi-kun and idiot?" Kuroko teased, his face impassive. "I should get to know such a brave individual."

"Speaking of brave," Akashi inserted, "Ogiwara will be playing with us tomorrow." Kuroko stared at him, before tearing up.

"Truly?" he whispered, his vision blurry.

"Truly," Akashi assured him, sitting up and wrapping his arms around the bluenette.

"He's forgiven us?"

"He defended you." Akashi stroked Kuroko's hair, as tears dampened his shirt.

"Thank you," Kuroko murmured into Akashi's neck.

"For getting Ogiwara to come, or for making you come?" Kuroko nearly choked.

"Akashi-kun!" Akashi merely smiled contentedly in response.


	23. Chapter 23

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter out, despite the really wonderful support I've gotten. At first I lost people when I switched the rating, but I think people have found me again. I've been sitting on the first 2K words of this chapter for like a week, and ended up brute forcing the end of it, so I hope it's ok. This is my longest chapter, I think, so let me know how it feels.

Also, to my delight and surprise, I've got more than 200 follows, 150 favourites, and 130 reviews, so I wanted to thank you all for your support. (I've been watching the numbers inch up, and I keep thinking I must have maxed out, but you keep surprising me!) It means so much to me! Thank you for the support! Many of you took the time to write longer reviews, and they've been great! Thank you for showing me my story through your eyes.

* * *

Kuroko sipped his vanilla shake, visibly sparkling. Aomine and Kuroko had met up at Maji Burger, and had easily fallen into step together once the bluenette had his precious shake. Aomine was admiring him out of the corner of his eye (because staring is _lame_ ) and was wondering why Kuroko had asked to meet up alone before joining everyone else for this week's game.

"Are you sure you should having that right before our match, Tetsu? You know how intense we get." A voice in his head that sounded disturbingly like Momoi told him he was fretting, but he paid it no mind. It was hard to discourage Kuroko when he was so obviously happy, but it was worse to see him throwing up in the corner, so discouragement it was.

"It's always the right time for vanilla shake," Kuroko assured him solemnly, his glow entirely undiminished. Aomine shook his head, resigned to Kuroko's addiction.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, knowing it wouldn't take them very long to reach the court where they were meeting everyone else. It was the first time they had hung out just the two of them since Kuroko had started at Shutoku, and Aomine was determined to enjoy whatever time they had.

"I think I'm gay," Kuroko deadpanned, making Aomine faceplant, "or at least bi." Kuroko paused and crouched down to poke at Aomine, currently sprawled out on the ground. _Lame_ , he moaned to himself. _When was the last time I_ tripped? "Are you ok, Aomine-kun?" Poke. Poke. As if the fact that Aomine was kissing the concrete wasn't entirely his fault. Aomine figured if he looked up he would find Kuroko silently laughing. _Leave me alone_ , Aomine thought, mortified.

"Tetsu, you..." Aomine groaned as Kuroko continued poking at him. How could Aomine convey how completely unexpected that was? _That's not how you come out, Tetsu!_

"Aomine-kun was worried about me being able to accept a guy as my lover, so I thought I should tell you." Kuroko added, as though it was totally normal to talk to someone on the ground. In public. About being gay.

"And you came to that conclusion?! What happened?!" Aomine asked, pushing himself to his feet and scrubbing his hands over his face. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, part pain, part embarrassment, as he wondered, _does this mean I have a chance?_ When Kuroko didn't immediately reply, he glanced over at the bluenette to see him blushing fiercely. Well, _something_ must have happened to put that look on his friend's face. "Should I ask who, instead?"

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko mumbled into his drink, looking criminally adorable. Aomine's breath caught.

"...Does this mean you two are going out?" _Am I getting dumped? Had Kise misunderstood Akashi? Was the talk of sharing all a big misunderstanding?_

"No," Kuroko said, with a little more force than usual behind his words. Their eyes met. "Well, yes, but it's not what you think. Akashi-kun suggested I might have multiple lovers, and I was wondering..."

"Whether I would be one of them?" Aomine felt his heart lift, barely daring to believe. "Yeah, Tetsu, I'll be one of your lovers." _Stay cool, Aomine. Stay cool_ , he reminded himself. He glanced away and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm still not entirely sure about having several lovers," Kuroko confessed, and, yeah, it had taken Aomine weeks to wrap his head around that possibility, "but when I remember how I felt without Aomine-kun... I know I want Aomine-kun to always be by my side." Aomine reached out and clasped Kuroko's shoulder.

"...You know I'm sorry that I was such an ass to you, right, Tetsu?" Kuroko nodded.

"I know, Aomine-kun." When Aomine couldn't get more words out, Kuroko looked concerned. "Is Aomine-kun crying?" Kuroko asked, too innocently, as though he wasn't looking right at Aomine's face.

"What?! There's no way I am!" Aomine denied. Probably because it was familiar ground, the teasing relaxed him. Kuroko smiled very slightly and looked away.

"Thank you, Aomine-kun," Kuroko said, after they had walked another couple of minutes. Aomine snorted.

"There's nothing to thank me for, idiot." He was getting what he wanted, after all. They were nearly at the park when Aomine asked the question that had been buzzing in his mind since Kuroko had opened up the possibility of them dating. "Tetsu, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Kuroko titled his head quizzically, looking far too cute for Aomine's peace of mind.

"Would you... can we kiss?" Aomine felt himself blush, and could barely bring himself to look Kuroko in the eyes, but he wasn't willing to do anything Kuroko wasn't comfortable with. Kise had let him know about their make-out session, and Aomine had spent sleepless nights imagining that he was the one Kuroko had kissed. He had begun hoping then that Kuroko might be open to guys, but the bluenette's sudden declaration had still come as a shock. _What does Kuroko taste like? What makes him moan?_ Aomine wondered.

"Here?" Kuroko questioned, as though that was a possibility.

"No!" Aomine objected. He wasn't ready for that, he just wanted something to look forward to. "Later, ok? I just... wanted to know if you would be ok with that."

"Aomine-kun is cute." Kuroko's voice was perfectly bland, so Aomine was entirely unprepared when Kuroko leaned forward and brushed their lips together.

"Tetsu!" Aomine exclaimed, no doubt bright red.

"No one saw us," Kuroko assured him. "We'll do more later." Even without looking, Aomine was certain he heard the laughter in the bluenette's voice.

"Look, Tetsu, we're pretty much there now. You go ahead. I need a couple minutes, ok?" Kuroko appeared truly smug at his request.

"Sure, I'll see you there." Aomine groaned. _How am I supposed to focus on the game_ now?

* * *

Kise was nervous. And angry. Akashi had texted them all a few days ago to let them know the Ogiwara would be joining them for their game today. Kise knew that he needed to apologize to Kuroko's friend, however, there was a part of him that didn't want to apologize. He understood that he had been cruel to Ogiwara, but the fact that Kuroko, who had walked away from them, had chased after Ogiwara was eating him inside. Kise was aware enough to recognize the jealousy for what it was, but he had so rarely had any reason to be jealous of someone that he had no idea how to handle it. What made Ogiwara so special? Was it because he had known Kuroko the longest? Was Ogiwara more important to Kuroko than they were? Kise had called Akashi after getting the text, and he understood that they were doing this for Kuroko, but... He put on his professional smile, because, for once, he couldn't dredge up his real one for his friends. He would have timed it so he arrived a few minutes late and didn't risk being alone with Ogiwara, but Akashi didn't like people arriving after him, so...

"Kurokocchi!" Kise called out, nodding acknowledgment to the crowd already forming around the court. Word had spread about their games, and there was now a growing audience who showed up each week. Thankfully, instead of Kise's screaming fans, these were dedicated basketball fans; several of them brought notebooks, and filmed the matches. Kise suspected that a few of them had taken it upon themselves to make sure that the court was kept available for their games, but that wasn't Kise's concern. Kise walked past them, hoping to spot his favourite person.

"Yes," Kuroko deadpanned, directly behind him.

"Ah!" Kise yelped, startled, and spun around to face the bluenette.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, Kise-kun," Kuroko scolded. "What if I had been one of your crazy fans?"

"Eh? Kurokocchi is my fan?" Kise exclaimed, pouncing on the bluenette and hugging him tightly. He deliberately misinterpreted because, hey, a guy can dream.

"No," the bluenette replied, unmoved.

"So mean!" Kise whined.

"Kise-kun?" Kuroko questioned. "What's wrong?" Of course Kuroko had seen though his smile.

"Can I just stay like this, Kurokocchi?" Kise murmured into his neck.

"Did something happen at school?" Kise shook his head. "At work?" Kise shook his head again and tightened his arms around Kuroko. Holding the bluenette made everything better. Kuroko moved, obviously trying to see his face, but Kise kept it pressed to the bluenette's neck. "You won't tell me?" Kuroko asked softly.

"I'm sorry," Kise whispered, sorry because he _always_ told Kuroko. Feeling Kuroko shiver slightly as his lips brushed over the bluenette's neck helped calm Kise immensely.

"One minute," Kuroko conceded, earning a tighter hug. "Kise-kun, I can't breathe." Kise loosened his arms immediately, unwilling to earn an Ignite Pass today. After a long moment, Kise forced himself to let go; however he spotted something as he drew away.

"Kurokocchi, is that a hickey?" Kise's eyes gleamed; someone had made a serious move on Kuroko.

"Maybe," Kuroko hedged, looking away with a blush.

"It totally _is_ ," Kise insisted gleefully. "Who gave it to you?" Kuroko met his eyes for a moment, before glancing away, clearly flustered.

"Akashi-kun," the bluenette answered quietly. Before Kise had a chance to exclaim over that (or get all the juicy details) another voice rang out.

"Oi! Get off him, idiot!" Recognizing the voice instantly, Kise snuggled back in, instead of letting go.

"Is Aominecchi jealous?" He purred, amused. Even with Aomine's tan, it was obvious he was blushing. Baiting Aomine was one of life's simple pleasures, so Kise tried not to miss out.

"Kise, Aomine, that's enough," Akashi called out confidently, interrupting them before they could really get going. Murasakibara and an air conditioner with green hair peaking out the top trailed in behind the redhead.

"Aha! Midorima, you really are the best! How can you carry that around?" No questions as to who was responsible for the walking air conditioner. Aomine laughed hard, looking at their friend was struggling to carry it in; Kise coughed vigorously, trying not to join in.

"It's my lucky item," Midorima replied, slightly muffled. He turned around, apparently looking for a place to set it down.

"Hello, Kuro-chin, Mine-chin, Ki-chin," Murasakibara greeted, setting down the bag he had been carrying. "Mido-chin walked into a streetlight," he tattled happily, as Midorima tucked the air conditioner away in the corner. Ok, so Kise gave up and joined Aomine in the laughter, because that really was too much. How was it lucky if it made you walk into things?

"It was poorly placed," Midorima huffed, earning more laughter. _Of course it was_ , Kise thought. But there was no helping Midorima and his Oha-Asa obsession, so they had learned to accept it.

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi called out cheerfully, throwing herself at the bluenette, who caught her easily. _He's getting stronger_ , Kise realized, a little surprised. A brunette followed her in, and Kise vaguely recognized him. Well, everyone knew who he was, regardless.

"Hello Momoi-san, Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko greeted politely, as though he wasn't in a death grip. Not that Kise was one to comment, really.

"Kuroko," Ogiwara acknowledged, looking around awkwardly. "Akashi," he added, meeting the redhead's eyes. "Thank you for sending Momoi-san to meet me at the train station."

"Of course." Akashi accepted the thanks graciously.

"Who are you?" Aomine interrupted, staring hard at Ogiwara. Kise's jaw dropped. _This isn't good_ , he thought.

"If you read your texts," Akashi intervened, in tone that promised dire punishments for those who didn't, "you will remember that I invited Kuroko's childhood friend, Ogiwara, to play with us today."

"Oh, shit," Aomine muttered. "You're that guy. We're not supposed to screw this up, or Tetsu will be pissed!" Kise snorted. Not the words Akashi had used, but a fair summary of their content.

"You aren't supposed to _say_ that, idiot," Midorima scolded, but Ogiwara seemed more amused hearing their motives than annoyed.

"May I ask why there is an air conditioner in the corner?" Ogiwara asked, and even Kise had to acknowledge that was a fair question.

"It's my lucky item," Midorima replied, pushing his glasses up.

"Lucky item?" The brunette repeated.

"This guy's an Oha-Asa freak," Aomine explained.

"I am not!" Midorima objected. "It simply makes sense to do one's all. After all, man proposes-"

"God disposes," Aomine finished. "We get it, we get." Ogiwara turned to Kuroko.

"Are they always like this?" Kuroko shook his head seriously.

"No, they're on their very best behaviour today."

"Hey, Tetsu! Something about the way you say that-"

"It is an entirely accurate statement, Aomine," Akashi cut in.

"Are you strong?" Murasakibara questioned Ogiwara lazily.

"...I've played you before," Ogiwara replied, evidently thrown off balance.

"Eh? I don't remember you though," Murasakibara complained. Kise heard Kuroko sigh beside him, and glanced over hoping this wasn't about to backfire badly on them. If Kuroko felt they were being rude to his friend, this was all for naught. Kise suspected that Akashi was seeing the same warning signs he did, because he immediately took control of the conversation.

"We were rude to Kuroko's friend, and in the spirit of forgiveness are going to play a nice match with him now," Akashi informed them, obviously not pleased about having to repeat the content of his text in front of Ogiwara. Kise hand't felt that kind of pressure come off Akashi since the Winter Cup, but his point was made. The Generation of Miracles nodded obediently.

"Ok, Aka-chin," Murasakibara agreed.

"Oh, right," Aomine muttered, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Didn't mean to be rude. Sorry." Ogiwara shrugged the apology off.

"No worries, I'm the outsider." Kise privately agreed with that, but given how he felt about Ogiwara, he chose the path of wisdom and kept his mouth shut. Playing with Kagami and Takao was way easier. Kise hoped Ogiwara didn't become a regular fixture at their matches.

"If you don't mind, Ogiwara, I think it would be best if you and Kuroko each played half the game." Which meant that they would not be playing together. Kise glanced at Kuroko to see his reaction, but the bluenette didn't seem perturbed by the decision. The brunette, on the other hand, seemed nervous about this turn of events, but didn't interrupt, apparently waiting to hear the rest. "Our games can be quite intense, and if you haven't been playing recently, you might risk injury keeping up."

"That's-" Aomine opened his mouth, then glanced at Kuroko and snapped it shut. Kise was certain that he had wanted to point out that there was no way Ogiwara was going to be able to keep up with them regardless. Ogiwara had been a reasonably good player in middle school; hardly having played in a year and a half, Ogiwara was in no way their peer now. Kuroko glanced at Aomine, and Kise thought he saw approval in his eyes; he, too, knew what Aomine had been about to say.

"Kise, Murasakibara, and Aomine will be on one team, while I will play with you, Kuroko, and Midorima," Akashi continued, focusing on Ogiwara and apparently trusting them to fall into line. Well, Kise had considered whether it would be harder to play with or against Ogiwara, and trusted Akashi's division. Akashi and Midorima had enough discipline to work with Ogiwara even though Akashi had acknowledged that he shared Kise's reservations in regard to the brunette.

The seven of them started warming up, their usual banter missing. They were typically able to ignore any awkwardness, because social awareness is for other people, but Kise felt his heart clench when he saw Kuroko approach Ogiwara to be his stretching partner. The game started normally enough, for them, but problems began in the second quarter when Ogiwara came out. Akashi always passed to maximize team play, however in this case, Akashi was passing _too much_ ; his focus on passes was costing the team points. Kise realized that Akashi must be trying to show both Kuroko and Ogiwara that they could use team play, but the objective of basketball was to score points, at the end of the day, and that wasn't happening.

"Why is Aka-chin playing weird?" Murasakibara asked at half-time, causing everyone to freeze.

"That's a very good question, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko agreed coldly, looking to the red head. Akashi had stilled, apparently realizing his misstep.

"What do you mean, Kuroko?" Ogiwara asked: the only person present, except for their fans, who did not know Akashi's play style well enough to spot the difference.

"Akashi-kun is passing too much," Kuroko commented, not taking his eyes off Akashi. "It's not a problem we've had before." Which was true. How could passing too much and passing too little both be mistakes?

"You're saying that he's babying me?" For the first time, a hint of anger laced Ogiwara's voice. Kise felt himself start to panic.

"It's not like that!" He exclaimed, trying to diffuse the situation. "Akashicchi didn't mean it like that, did you?" He turned to his former captain, looking for support.

"I apologize-" Akashi began, and Kise was not the only one whose jaw dropped because Akashi _didn't_ apologize, "I had not intended to go soft on you. I simply wanted this to be a positive interaction between us."

"Look, I get that you and I aren't ever going to be friends, but we agreed to make peace for Kuroko's sake, so you don't need to hold back. If you're serious, then I'll try my best. That's all anyone can do." Midorima nodded at that while Murasakibara scowled, both set in their views.

"Why won't you two be friends?" Kuroko questioned, disappointment entering his expression.

"I know you've told me they've changed, Kuroko, and I know that they're important to you, but I can't pretend they didn't stomp on my team." Ogiwara was the one who answered. Kise didn't like the tone he used with Kuroko, and moved to snuggle with the bluenette. Kuroko didn't shake him off, which was all the confirmation he needed that Kuroko found their cuddles comforting too. Ogiwara stared at them awkwardly.

"Don't snap at Kurokocchi because you're mad at us," Kise snarled, and it was only once the words were out that he heard the poison in them.

"This was obviously a mistake," Akashi said, looking between them. "It would probably be best if we called off the rest of the game."

"What? You can't just call off a game, Akashi!" Aomine instantly objected.

"I hate to agree with any of you, but the ganguro is right. You don't call off a match because of a fight," Ogiwara contributed.

"Akashi-kun should just play normally," Kuroko replied seriously. Aomine snorted.

"You do realize that Akashi can't do anything _normally_ , don't you, Tetsu?" Kise sometimes wondered if all that porn had rotten Aomine's brain, because he used to know better.

"What was that, Aomine?" Akashi asked with a glint in his eye.

"Oh, shit," Aomine muttered, scrambling to take back his last comment. Midorima sighed.

"Are we going to play?" Murasakibara interrupted, "because if not, I'm going to go buy more snacks."

"We'll keep playing," Ogiwara declared, "as long as all of you are serious."

Everyone nodded, and the second half of the game began, with Kuroko coming out right away. Playing normally, they were able to close the gap in points which had developed during the second period. It wasn't until Ogiwara came out for the fourth period that they could see the change in Akashi's style; he was playing normally, although from the expression on his face, it was not without cost. Regardless, Kise, Aomine, and Murasakibara won by six points; an unheard of lead in their games. Kise refused to drop on the ground as he so often did in front of this interloper, and was relieved when Ogiwara refused Akashi's invitation to dinner in order to get back to Kyoto that night. They were quiet as Momoi led the brunette away.

"Alright," Kuroko said, breaking the tension, "what is going on?"


	24. Chapter 24

Given the total silence after my last chapter, I assume it wasn't very good. In an effort to make it up to you, I am posting this chapter. That means you should have two new chapters within about five hours of each other. I hope this is something you can enjoy more. Take care.

* * *

Midorima still thought if it as Akashi's condo, even though he lived there alone most of the time, and it was strange having everyone over for the first time. Momoi had escorted Ogiwara to the train station after that disastrous attempt at reconciliation, and promised to meet up with them as soon as she was done. She had made some comments about cooking dinner, but Akashi had firmly assured her that since none of them were up for cooking, he would order something in, effectively saving them all from grievous bodily harm. Midorima took a seat with Akashi in the living room and waited for everyone to finish their self-guided tour. The others explored the space in a strangely proprietary fashion, something Akashi appeared almost satisfied to see, like it was something he had been hoping for. It made Midorima wonder who the other rooms were for, although Murasakibara honed in on the kitchen, and seemed to feel no need to go any further.

"The doors are locked," Aomine pointed out, as he returned to the living room. Given the open floor plan, Midorima realized that he must be referring to the bedroom doors.

"Yes, they are," Akashi agreed pleasantly. Which was enough to stop _that_ argument from starting.

"That sounded like a threat, Akashicchi," Kise contributed, casually sauntering back in. Aomine nodded his head in agreement.

"How can agreeing with someone sound like a threat?" Kuroko questioned, coming in behind the blond.

"I dunno," Aomine replied, scratching his head. "Akashi?" Midorima huffed at the reply. Honestly, _those_ _two_.

"We owe you an apology, Kuroko," Akashi said, once Murasakibara returned, carrying snacks Midorima hadn't realized they owned, and everyone had found places in the living room. Midorima noted that there were more than enough chairs for all of them, a detail he had never really taken note of before. "I knew how much it would mean to you to have us make peace with Ogiwara, and thought a basketball match would be the perfect opportunity. This was my miscalculation." He bowed as he said the words, and everyone shifted awkwardly. They didn't like seeing the proud Akashi carry the burden alone, and Kise was, perhaps inevitably, the next to speak.

"I didn't want to say anything, Kurokocchi, but..." The blond hesitated, briefly meeting the bluenette's eyes. "I don't like your friend. He hurt you because he was angry at _us_ , and I can't really forgive that. Lashing out at others isn't right. Besides..."

"Besides?" Kuroko prompted, when it seemed like Kise had run out of words.

"I'm jealous," Kise mumbled quietly, looking down. Kuroko seemed stunned to see confident, vibrant Kise looking like that, but Akashi spoke up before the bluenette could.

"As am I." Kuroko looked between them, apparently in shock. "You cut your ties with us, but went chasing after him. You know we like you-" Midorima wondered when _that_ had become public knowledge "and seeing you chase after him was hard."

"I'm sorry," Kuroko murmured, looking a little lost.

"It's not your fault, Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed, but no one seemed to know what to say from there.

"I... Akashi-kun mentioned the possibility of me having several lovers," Kuroko began, his face vibrantly red, "but how will that work if you all get jealous?" Midorima agreed with the concern, because even if he was confident he was important to Kuroko, it was hard to feel needed when the bluenette valued the others just as much. Well, he hoped he was valued as much, since he hadn't confessed yet.

"We don't get jealous of each other, Tetsu," Aomine stated, drawing nods from the others. Midorima couldn't bring himself to join in, although he found their untied confidence touching. "It's just... we don't know him and seeing you with him makes you feel like you're far away."

"Your childhood isn't a part of your life that we share, Kuroko," Midorima commented, finally joining the discussion. "It's hard to be reminded of everything you experienced before we were there."

"Kuroko," Akashi said, his almost tentative tone halting all other voices, "Ogiwara knew that he played streetball because you didn't want to go home, and he didn't do anything about it. That's... hard for me to forgive." Midorima felt anger course through him, and had no doubt the others were reacting just as badly to _that_ information.

"It was never his responsibility to look after me, Akashi-kun," Kuroko refuted.

"It's not about responsibility, Tetsu." Aomine was possibly the _last_ person Midorima would have accepted a lesson on responsibility from, but Kuroko seemed unperturbed. "It's about valuing you. When someone matters to you, you look out for them even though you don't have to. How do you think Satsuki and I manage?"

"What does Mine-chin do for Momoi-san?" Murasakibara questioned, entirely reasonably in Midorima's opinion.

"I beat up perverts who don't realize how pure she is," he replied, looking a little embarrassed by the answer. "I know she can think circles around them, but sometimes a couple of solid punches makes things clearer for the guys." Midorima snorted. That sounded like Aomine all right.

"Thank you for that, Aomine," Akashi said, only mildly sarcastic, because, in the end, nobody did as well alone and they had all learned that, thanks to Kuroko.

"What happened to me wasn't Ogiwara-kun's fault," Kuroko assured them, "any more than it was your fault." The subject - _the memories -_ they never talked about were sitting between them, loudly waiting to be acknowledged.

"I should have realized-" Akashi began regretfully, ignoring the way Kuroko was shaking his head.

"No, Akashi-kun, I didn't want you to know-"

"That's no excuse!" The redhead burst out, shocking everyone. "What good are these eyes if I can't see when you are suffering?" Kuroko got up, and, to Midorima's surprise, drew Akashi into a hug.

"Bakashi-kun," Kuroko murmured warmly, causing Aomine and Kise to choke violently. Midorima fought to hide a smile because only Kuroko would be able to get away with something like that.

"Why are you calling Aka-chin that, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, apparently side-tracked from their more serious discussion. Then again, no one truly wanted to reopen old wounds, especially if Kuroko was finally moving forward. Midorima could count on one had the number of times Kuroko had embraced someone else of his own volition.

"I think it suits him," was the bluenette's response as some of the more foolhardy members of their group tittered.

"Eh? Should I call him Baka-chin, too?"

" _No_ ," Akashi answered vehemently.

"Hmm, ok then," Murasakibara accepted, not sounding too bothered either way.

"Are you ok, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked softly, not letting go of the redhead. Akashi reached up and pulled Kuroko onto his lap. There was an intimacy in the way they sat pressed together that hadn't been there before. Given what Akashi had said, he had obviously confessed, but it looked to Midorima as though things had gone beyond a verbal reply. He felt a sting of jealousy, but suppressed it. What right did he have to feel jealous when he hadn't even gathered the courage ton confess yet? Everyone waited in silence for the red head to answer Kuroko.

"That depends," Akashi murmured, eyes locked on the bluenette, "are you?"

"You always make such a big deal of it-" Kuroko deflected, his non-answer answering perfectly for him.

"It is a big deal, Tetsu!" Aomine interrupted, clearly upset.

"I'm a guy, so-" Midorima _cursed_ those words. How many times had he heard Kuroko repeat them, trying to defend his parents?

"Being a guy doesn't make it ok, Kurokocchi," Kise chided looking sad. "We've been over this." Kuroko looked like he wanted to go over and comfort Aomine and Kise, but the tightening of Akashi's arms around him prevented that. It was almost unheard of to see the red head being needy, so the bluenette settled back into his arms.

"I asked for your permission yesterday," Akashi said, causing Kuroko to blush deeply. _Permission for what?_ Midorima wondered, embarrassed to even be considering the possibilities that evoked. "What allowed you to nod?"

"...I knew you would stop if I told you to," Kuroko eventually answered.

"Consent is important," Akashi agreed, his words floating in the twilight room. He brushed his finger over Kuroko's lips. "May I have your consent again?" Perhaps everyone was as enthralled as Midorima at the drama unfolding in front of him, because no one moved.

"You want to kiss?"

"We never actually kissed yesterday," Akashi pointed out, seeming amused as Kuroko squirmed In embarrassment. Kuroko took a deep breath then leaned forward and brushed his lips over Akashi's, initiating the kiss. The red head reached up and caught Kuroko by the neck, holding him in place and deepening the kiss. Kuroko squirmed, obviously wanting more, shifting until he was straddling Akashi. His hands tightened in the red head's shirt as he leaned in further, and he first mewling noise that escaped Kuroko nearly broke Midorima's restraint, because _no one_ should be allowed to sound like that. Midorima forced himself to stay seated, shifting uncomfortably. _What would it feel like to be the person who made Kuroko look so flushed and beautiful?_ He wondered. Kise grabbed Aomine's hand and dragged him over to where Akashi and Kuroko were making out. Murasakibara simply watched in fascination, his eyes opened wide to take everything in.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko panted, drawing back, eyes glazed.

"Hey, don't leave us out," Kise commented boldly. "Don't you have a kiss for us, too?"

"I haven't asked Kise-kun about being one of my boyfriends," Kuroko answered, turning to the blond and obviously struggling to steady his breathing.

"Strictly speaking, you haven't asked me, either," Akashi commented amused. Kuroko frowned at him.

"It was your idea."

"Yes, I know it was," Akashi replied smugly. Before Kuroko could say anything more, Kise leaned down and kissed him.

"I'd love to be one of your lovers, Kurokocchi." Aomine looked like he wanted to either jump in and start making out, or run out of the room in embarrassment. Midorima didn't blame him; he was standing _right there_. "But I think Aominecchi needs his kiss first."

"That's true," Kuroko murmured, turning his gaze to his former light, "I promised you a kiss." Midorima wondered when all this had happened, but watched as Kuroko rose up his knees, then pulled Aomine down until their lips met. Akashi's hands comfortably settled on the bluenette's waist. The kiss with Aomine didn't have all the fire of the one Kuroko had shared with Akashi, but it was by no means chaste. A thread of saliva dangled between them momentarily before snapping, and Kise was quick to lean forward and lick the remnants from Kuroko's face. Aomine simply wiped his cheek.

"You two don't need to be left out," Akashi murmured, looking between Midorima and Murasakibara who hadn't left their seats.

"Hmm, the show is pretty good, Aka-chin," Murasakibara replied, not bothering to move. Kuroko blushed at that assessment, and while Midorima found himself in agreement with Murasakibara, he wanted to be part of it. When all eyes turned to him, Midorima felt himself fidget. How could he join in when he hadn't confessed? What was he supposed to say?

"Aquarius is not the least compatible sign for cancer," he blurted, then almost smacked himself for being so clumsy. He was fairly certain he heard someone cough, but his eyes were glued to the bluenette. He had planned to confess next Friday since he knew that Kuroko would be moving to Akita over the weekend, not blurt it out like this. He had been strategizing for weeks, so how did this happen? How would he face Kuroko after this?

"Is that so?" Kuroko asked, tilting his head and looking amused. Midorima knew that he was blushing heavily, but short of running out of the room couldn't think of any real solutions to that. Realizing that Kuroko was going to wait for him, Midorima forced a more normal confession through his lips.

"I like you, Kuroko," his blush burned his cheeks, "would you like to go out with me?"

"I'm tentatively trying out having several lovers," Kuroko hesitated, although that had been blatantly obvious, even if Akashi hadn't spoken to Midorima about it before, "would you be willing to be one of them?"

"Yes," Midorima breathed, moving towards the bluenette before he had realized what he was doing. A foot from the man he loved, he hesitated. "Are you sure, Kuroko?" Kuroko's brows tightened, a subtle sign of irritation. Kise, and of course it _had_ to be him, pushed Midorima toward Kuroko. Midorima had realized what Kuroko was doing as he reached out and drew Midorima down for a kiss, but it wasn't until Kuroko's lips brushed across his that the reality of the situation struck him. Kuroko was kissing him!


	25. Chapter 25

Spurred on by a whopping 17 reviews, here is chapter 25. Once again, a total change in tone, but I hope you're used to that by this point. I hope you enjoy this chapter (I am still nervous every time I post); your encouragement will help me with the next chapter! As always, thank you so much for the support!

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Kagami stared at the scene in front of him in fascinated horror. The door to Kuroko's condo had been unlatched, so he had pushed it open (and ok, he knew he should have knocked, but Kuroko was expecting them, so it really shouldn't have been a problem) only to discover a terrifying scene; Kuroko was making out with _Midorima_.

Kagami and Himuro were frozen in the doorway. They had been roped into escorting Kuroko to Akita since Akashi had work in Kyoto he couldn't ditch, Murasakibara was 'getting ready' (whatever the hell _that_ meant to the giant), Kise had a modelling shoot, Aomine had practice, and Midorima had 'matters to attend to'. Somehow, Murasakibara had convinced Himuro to spend hours taking the train to Tokyo in order to turn around and go back up the same day. Himuro had then turned around and suggested that since they hadn't had the chance to visit much lately, Kagami should make the totally useless round trip, too. Kagami, only seeing the opportunity to spend time with two of his favourite people had agreed. Well, he was regretting _that_ now.

"Pinch me, Tatsuya," he muttered, unable to tear his eyes away from the softly panting mess that was his friend. Midorima had a taped hand holding the bluenette to his body, and the other buried in his hair. Kagami froze, wondering where Midorima's lucky item was (and why was _that_ a concern, even under theses circumstances?) before spotting the paint roller sticking out of his pocket. Kagami distantly heard Himuro chuckle beside him, which was fine since it wasn't _his_ partner who was lip locked with the Oha-Asa freak. What the hell was going on? He lost touch with Kuroko for a couple months and this happened? It wasn't like there had been no contact; they saw each other every couple of weeks for streetball! Kagami felt himself blush at the heated scene, truly understanding Kise's comment about Kuroko being attractive for the first time.

"Ah!" Kuroko exclaimed, pulling away, apparently just realizing there were others there. "Sorry," he muttered flushed and embarrassed, and damn if Kagami didn't find him cute. _There's something wrong with my brain_ , he told himself. _Kuroko is a stubborn minx with a dubious sense of humour. He is not cute._ "Thanks for coming to pick me up, Kagami-kun, Himuro-kun."

"Hello," Midorima greeted, pushing his glasses up. "I apologize for our display." He spoke in that overly formal way of his, despite the deep blush that covered his face.

"No we should have knocked," Himuro denied while Kagami was still struggling for words.

"When did... What exactly..." Kagami stuttered. How did you ask how that _happened_?

"I didn't realize that you two were dating," Himuro commented smoothly. Kagami shot a glance at his brother wondering why _he_ had all the composure out of the two of them.

"Um, that's..." Kuroko glanced up at Midorima, before meeting Kagami's gaze. "Midorima-kun has agreed to be one of my boyfriends." Kagami gaped at that response; he knew he was gaping, _dammit_.

"Wow, that's interesting," Himuro replied politely, once again winning the award for most composed reaction _ever_. Although to be fair, most days Kuroko could give him a run for his money.

"That's all you can say?" Kagami burst out, looking between the three of them and waiting for someone to tell him this was all just a bad joke. But he knew that if Kuroko had a bad sense of humour, Midorima had no sense of humour at all, and that kiss had been no joke. Dammit. The world _used_ to make sense.

"I don't see what your problem is, Taiga," Himuro rebutted, and the sharpness in his tone made Kagami look at him more closely.

"Tatsuya?" He questioned cautiously, knowing he had misstepped somewhere.

"You owe Kuroko and Midorima an apology," Himuro informed him. Looking at Kuroko's fragile expression and Midorima's guarded one, Kagami cursed himself.

"Dammit, look, I was just surprised. You know I don't have a problem with things like that, I just wasn't expecting it." Kuroko looked at him a moment before nodding.

"That's true, we can't expect better of Bakagami."

"Hey!" Kagami protested as Himuro snorted discreetly.

"Congratulations," Himuro offered the two, "that looked like a pretty hot kiss."

"We've been practicing," Kuroko explained earnestly, deadpan except for the blush tinting his cheeks. Midorima, on the other hand, made a strangled noise and turned almost incandescently red. Kagami was sure Kuroko and Himuro were laughing on the inside.

"That's very important," Himuro agreed seriously, making Kagami wonder about his choice of friends.

"Maybe you should fix your hair, Kuroko," Midorima suggested, finally intervening in the conversation. Kuroko's hair was frequently amazing, but the effect of fingers being run through it repeatedly was not without impact; Kuroko seemed to realize that.

"Ah!" Kuroko exclaimed. "I'll just be a minute... or ten..." He mumbled, turning away and disappearing into the condo, leaving the three of them standing around awkwardly in the foyer. Kagami had been hoping they could just escape before anything else happened.

"Thank you for escorting Kuroko to Akita," Midorima said with a shallow bow, apparently trying to pretend the previous scene had never happened, a plan Kagami was totally on board with.

"No worries," Kagami replied.

"I don't mind," Himuro said, "but Atsushi wasn't very clear on why Kuroko needed an escort. What's going on, Midorima?"

"Ah," Midorima cleared his throat, "Kuroko is very attractive, and tends to draw the wrong kind of attention. If you're not careful, he will end up molested, and we would all prefer to spare him that."

"Kuroko gets molested?" Kagami asked, appalled. "Regularly?" And he never _told_ Kagami? Midorima stared at Kagami for a long moment.

"Being noticed is important," Midorima began quietly. "It's more than a desire; it's essentially a survival instinct. A baby needs an adult's help to survive. From that point on, people want to be noticed. That doesn't mean that everyone wants to be a star like Kise," Midorima's tone made it clear that _no one_ should want to be like Kise, and Kagami found himself in full agreement with the shooter, "but everyone wants to know that someone values their existence. It takes something truly momentous to overwrite a survival instinct," he continued. "Kuroko not wanting to be noticed... is not a small thing."

"But, I mean, Kuroko's ok with it, right? Not being noticed?" Kagami asked, because Kuroko had never really seemed to have a problem with it.

"Can you imagine living like that? In a world where no one holds the door when your arms are full, no one notices when you're sick, helps you reach things that are too high, offers to team up with you for group projects... Kuroko made his very first friend when he was _ten_. How lonely do you think he was before that?"

"I won't say I've never had trouble because of my looks," Himuro said after a heavy silence, diverting Kagami's attention, "but it sounds like Kuroko has been through far worse." It was true, Himuro had always used his hair to cover his face, and for the first time, Kagami really stopped to consider why.

"Yes," Midorima agreed. "We all feel quite protective because of it." Kagami thought about everything that had happened the past few months; Kuroko's disappearance, what Himuro had told him about Murasakibara not liking Kuroko's parents, his frequently changing schools, the intervention of the Generation of Miracles, the way those five circled around him...

"It's not just that he gets molested when he's out, is it?" Midorima stared at Kagami for a long minute, as the red head fit the pieces together. "His parents have something to do with this."

"Kuroko's mother believes that being molested," he hesitated there as though he had considered saying something else, "should not matter to a guy, so refuses to offer her son any protection." Kagami's stomach rolled at the implications of that statement. Even though his dad was in America, he knew his family was there for him in a pinch. What would it feel like to grow up knowing that you couldn't count on your family for support? Who had Kuroko turned to before he found his rainbow? "I would like to ask you both not to reveal Kuroko's home to anyone, since even people he knows can't all be trusted." His parents, Kagami realized. My god, they were hiding Kuroko from his own _parents_. Himuro had said as much, but it hadn't resonated with Kagami until Midorima had told them more about the dangers Kuroko had faced.

"Midorima-kun," Kuroko called out, halting the discussion before anything more could be said. Kagami was left with an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Kuroko, are you all ready?" Himuro asked, glancing at the time on his cell. Kuroko nodded.

"I apologize for the delay," he replied politely. "I'll see you soon, Midorima-kun." Kagami was relieved when they didn't feel the need to kiss again, although Midorima brushed his fingers across Kuroko's cheek, eliciting a soft smile. Apparently Midorima was fine with locking up the condo, even though it was Kagami's first time visiting it. Seeing Kuroko struggle to pick up his bag (only one bag, even though he was living there for the next two months, honestly), Kagami sighed and grabbed it out of the bluenette's hands, earning a pout for thanks.

"Goodbye, Kuroko," Midorima said softly. The three of them walked quietly to the train station; Kagami, holding onto Midorima's words, _scoured_ the area for potential gropers. They got their tickets and looked for some seats while they waited for their train to arrive.

"Do you think they carry ID?" Himuro randomly asked as they found three unoccupied seats together.

"What?" Kagami replied, distractedly.

"The gropers," Himuro clarified, getting Kagami to look at him. "Do you think that gropers carry ID?"

"If you had brought Nigou, he could have protected me," Kuroko told Kagami sadly, "but you didn't even bring him."

"Hey! I'm not bringing your monster on the train! You should visit him more!" Kuroko sniffed at this reply.

"Nigou is twice the man you are, Kagami-kun."

"What the hell does that mean?! He's a dog!" Kagami protested, outraged.

"Precisely," Kuroko agreed, as if that made any sense. Kagami sighed, but since he knew that the bluenette did in fact miss the creature, he pulled out his phone and handed it over. "Kagami-kun?" Kuroko questioned, holding the phone and looking at him for answers.

"Look at the photos," he muttered. There was a pause as Kuroko began swiping. Kuroko's expressions were always subtle, but Kagami knew that seeing Nigou's recent adventures had moved the bluenette; he was way too attached to that dog. Himuro and Kagami sat in silence while Kuroko admired the beast. Kagami had made a point of taking the photos for Kuroko, and seeing how much they meant to his friend, he promised himself that he would email some while Kuroko was studying in Akita.

"How was your time at Shutoku?" Himuro asked as the sound of the train approaching reached their ears and Kuroko returned Kagami's phone.

"It was good," Kuroko replied politely, as if he wasn't a little minx who liked screwing with people. "It's been nice having an opportunity to reconnect with each of the old group."

"Atsushi has been really excited about your arrival, Kuroko," Himuro commented. Kagami tried to wrap his head around the notion of that slothful giant being excited about anything. Except maybe food.

"What exactly does that look like?" He asked. Himuro simply smiled and glanced at Kuroko, which made Kagami frown. He hated it when Himuro got all sneaky on him. The train pulled in, and Kagami was determined that he would have Kuroko sit between him and a window: no perverts near his friend.

"Kuroko will find out soon. He's been working very hard preparing for you; that's why I agreed to help out by picking you up." The three of them got to their feet and headed for the doors, standing aside to let the other passengers off first.

"I apologize about all the fuss. I really could have gone on my own."

"I don't mind," Himuro assured the bluenette as they boarded the train. "We'll be spending a lot of time together over the next few months, so we'd might as well get to know each other now."

"That's true," Kuroko agreed, and the understanding these two had reached so quickly filled Kagami with foreboding. It was hard enough to handle them individually; what would they be like working together?

"I was thinking," Kagami began as they took their seats, guiding Kuroko to the window seat which earned him a pointed look from both of them. He was grateful they had been able to find ones facing each other, so they could all talk comfortably.

"Of?" Himuro asked, not sounding particularly interested.

"Himuro-kun," Kuroko interrupted, before Kagami could continue, "you need to say something nice to Kagami-kun." Kagami and Himuro both stared at Kuroko curiously.

"Why would I do that?"

"It's important to encourage people when they try something new," Kuroko informed him, his face a picture of innocence. There was a beat of silence, then...

"Kuroko!" Kagami objected. Himuro looked at them and laughed.

"I think you and I will get along well," he told Kuroko, who nodded seriously.

"Yes," Kuroko agreed, that almost-smiling expression on his face, "I think we will become very good friends." Kagami felt himself pale at that announcement, and settled for glaring at the bluenette, unable to find any answers that weren't going to lead him further into the verbal quicksand. The three of them spent the entire ride chatting, catching up and learning more about each other; Kagami's concerns about Kuroko and Himuro's compatibility came true, and he resigned himself to never winning an argument with either one of them again.

"Have you ever won one before?" Had been all Himuro had to say on the topic when Kagami moaned about it. When they finally reached Akita, Kagami saw them safely out of the train station before turning around and getting on the train back to Tokyo. _What a day,_ he thought to himself.


	26. Chapter 26

Hi! Sorry this chapter took a while. I've gotten pretty busy, so at best I'll probably get one chapter out a week for the next month or so. Please bear with me. Your encouragement will help me focus, so please keep reviewing. I am very happy to re-read your reviews when I get stuck. And to those of you who have recently favourited or followed, thank you very much. I keep thinking I have maxed out the number of interested people, but you keep surprising me! Thanks for the support!

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Kuroko walked into a vanilla scented paradise. His eyes widened as he tried to look around and find the source of that perfection when Murasakibara opened the door and, to Kuroko's great surprise, leaned down to gave him a hug.

"Hi Kuro-chin," Murasakibara greeted, resting his head on Kuroko's head.

"Hello Murasakibara-kun." Kuroko was too intoxicated by the aroma coming off Murasakibara to protest the cuddles. Normally being close to Murasakibara made him feel small and a little weak, but surrounded by vanilla he felt cherished and safe. Vanilla was _amazing_.

"Thanks for picking up Kuro-chin, Muro-chin." Kuroko thought that traveling to Tokyo and back qualified as more than 'picking up,' but Himuro seemed satisfied by the thanks.

"I enjoyed myself," Himuro assured the giant. "How did things go here?"

"Good." Murasakibara stepped back from Kuroko, and eagerly towed the bluenette in by the hand. It was a standard 1LDK space, so with Murasakibara no longer blocking his view, Kuroko could see the gallery kitchen and dinning table overflowing with baked goods. Was this the source of the vanilla aroma? "Kuro-chin, I made you some treats." If there was a better way to be welcomed to someone's home, Kuroko didn't know what it could be.

"Thank you, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko replied, touched and trying not to drool.

"I'd heard you like vanilla, Kuroko, but this is too much!" Himuro chuckled, watching him. Normally this would have warranted a careful execution of Kuroko's stink eye, but nothing could detract him from his current high.

"Munro-chin taught me to bake," Murasakibara explained, looking pleased with himself; then again, very few people had _ever_ put such a dazed, happy look on the bluenette.

"Murasakibara has been a very diligent student," Himuro complimented, sounding proud. "I was trying to teach him months ago, but it was only once he knew that you were going to be staying with him that he started paying attention."

"Munro-chin," Murasakibara whined, blushing brightly. Kuroko stared at him, astonished, never having seen the giant look so... _bashful_. There was a momentary pause where Kuroko and Murasakibara simply gazed at each other before the former looked away. "Look, Kuro-chin, I made vanilla cupcakes, vanilla donuts, vanilla shortbread cookies, vanilla fudge, vanilla pudding, vanilla bundt cake..." Kuroko was determined to tell Akashi; who said you couldn't learn to bake in a few months? "I've got vanilla cheesecake in the oven, and there's vanilla ice cream in the freezer-" Kuroko jerked at the those words.

"Murasakibara-kun," he began, with that hesitance born of knowing something is far too good to be true, "did you _make_ vanilla ice cream?"

"Yeah," Murasakibara agreed happily, "for Kuro-chin's milkshakes." Kuroko felt his eyes start to tear up, and fought not to let them spill down his cheeks. "Why is Kuro-chin crying?" Murasakibara asked with a frown. "I wanted to make Kuro-chin happy."

"You did," Himuro replied, seeing that Kuroko couldn't get words out. "You made him very happy." Himuro gave him a soft smile, and Kuroko forced himself to nod. He was indeed very happy. Murasakibara reached up and gently stroked Kuroko's sky blue hair.

"Munro-chin said we weren't allowed to eat cake for dinner-" this clearly did not meet with Murasakibara's approval, but he had evidently listened to Himuro, a fact Kuroko took note of, "so I made us vanilla roasted snapper." Was there such a thing? Kuroko wondered. But vanilla was vanilla, so when Murasakibara started serving up their meal (to be eaten on their laps since the table was occupied) Kuroko unhesitatingly dug in. It was surprisingly good, but then again: _vanilla_. What more did any meal need? Kuroko already felt welcome and relaxed in a way he hadn't anticipated when the day started. Himuro promised to be an excellent companion, and Murasakibara had made Kuroko feel more than welcome; he felt loved.

"What does Kuro-chin want for desert?" Murasakibara asked. This, Kuroko felt, was an unreasonably difficult question.

"I'll have the bundt cake and some shortbread," Himuro requested. Murasakibara frowned at him.

"I didn't ask Muro-chin what he wanted," Murasakibara complained.

"I know," Himuro replied with a smile, "but you were going to." Murasakibara grumbled, but lumbered to his feet and began cutting a piece of the cake. Kuroko hid his smile at the scene; since Murasakibara had been forced to move away from his family for school, and he was glad the giant had found such a good friend.

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara prompted, carrying Himuro's food over to him.

"I'll have some pudding, please," Kuroko eventually requested, because that was almost as good as vanilla shake, and he had opted to make a vanilla shake his breakfast. He had no doubt that Akashi would find out about their diet, but he was in Kyoto; what could he do?

"Hmm, ok," Murasakibara acknowledged, moving around the kitchen with unexpected confidence. Although, Kuroko supposed it shouldn't be so surprising since Murasakibara had done all the baking in the first place. Murasakibara filled a plate for himself and settled in beside Kuroko to eat. They turned on the TV, and idly flipped channels while munching away. Himuro ended up heading out to let Kuroko get settled in after he had finished his dessert (Murasakibara was on his sixth helping, and showed no signs of stopping), although Kuroko was still slowly working though he second serving (a cupcake, this time).

"Bye, Muro-chin," Murasakibara said, unmoving from his place on the floor. Kuroko went to get to his feet, but was immediately stopped.

"Don't worry about formalities, Kuroko. I'll see you both Monday."

"Thank you for escorting me here," Kuroko replied, keeping his seat, but bowing politely.

"No worries. Later." And with that, Kuroko and Murasakibara were left on their own. Kuroko finished his dessert and pulled out a book he had bought for the trip, not having had the opportunity to read on the train. He curled up on the sofa while Murasakibara finished his mountain of treats before heading over to wash the dishes.

"Do you need help?" Kuroko offered. Murasakibara seemed to consider that.

"Hmm, not today. You're a guest today and Muro-chin will be mad if I make a guest do work. I don't like it when Muro-chin is mad." From what Kuroko knew about Himuro, this was an entirely reasonable sentiment. Murasakibara splashed in the kitchen for a few minutes before finally lying down and putting his head on the bluenette's lap.

"Comfortable?" Kuroko asked, glancing down at him. Truthfully, Kuroko liked it when Murasakibara allowed himself to be all defenceless like this.

"Pet me, Kuro-chin," Murasakibara instructed. Kuroko, really, had never been able to resist this childish side of Murasakibara. He loved the fact that Murasakibara didn't leave people guessing about what he wanted; Kuroko would be surprised to learn that Murasakibara had ever lied in his life. Kuroko moved so that he could keep reading, and began running his other hand through the shoulder-length violet hair. It was, despite appearances, silken, and fell easily through his fingers; Murasakibara almost purred in contentment, leaving Kuroko with a profound feeling of accomplishment. Eventually the sensation drew Kuroko's attention away from the story, so he could simply enjoy the experience. It had been a long time since they had last sat like this. "I missed this, Kuro-chin."

"...Me too," the bluenette murmured, moved to tears for the second time that night. Nostalgia and something close to home-sickness hit him hard; his friends in Teiko had filled a hole in his heart he had never known existed, and knowing they were back in his life drew powerful emotions to the surface. Murasakibara slowly opened his amethyst eyes, and reached up to brush a tear from Kuroko's cheek.

"Kuro-chin shouldn't cry," he complained. "I want Kuro-chin to be happy."

"I am happy," Kuroko replied honestly, although he knew that happy was too simple a word. He held Murasakibara's eyes. There was a long pause where the two simply gazed at each other before Murasakibara reached up and pulled Kuroko down for a kiss. Their lips met softly, slowly exploring each other, and the faint taste of vanilla on Murasakibara's lips encouraged Kuroko to deepen the kiss. Soon, Kuroko was shifting awkwardly and reluctantly tore away from Murasakibara, already partially hard. He had to admit, all that time Murasakibara spent munching on his sweets certainly built his tongue's dexterity. Kuroko thought he had been on the receiving end of some good kisses, but Murasakibara was a whole new level.

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara questioned, looking a little dazed himself. Well, that was something, at least.

"I'm pretty tired, Murasakibara-kun. Do you think we could go to bed now?" Kuroko wasn't sure he was ready to go past kissing with Murasakibara quite yet, and chose to back off. The giant accepted that without question.

"Hmm, ok," Murasakibara agreed, sitting up. Murasakibara had already shown Kuroko the toilet and bath rooms, so it was obvious which door led to the bedroom. Kuroko went to the foyer to retrieve his bag before sliding the door open and entering the bedroom. Two futons were tidily folded in the corner of the room, much to Kuroko's astonishment.

"I'm surprised Murasakibara-kun has two futons," Kuroko commented.

"I borrowed the other futon from Muro-chin; since I live on my own, I only have one," Murasakibara said with a frown, unfolding the first futon. "I thought Kuro-chin knew we were sleeping together.."

"Yes, but I was expecting us to sleep on a bed," Kuroko clarified, stepping in and laying out the second futon. There was barely room for the two futons, and certainly no space to walk around the room.

"Eh? Kuro-chin doesn't know that I don't fit on a bed?" Was that actually a thing? Could a person be too long for a bed? Kuroko frowned (it was _not_ a pout) at the thought.

"Um," Kuroko replied, looking at Murasakibara and trying to figure out if that was literally true. "Murasakibara-kun is longer than a bed?"

"Yeah," Murasakibara answered, sounding irritated. Kuroko was the one feeling frustrated. _That's a nice problem to have_ , he thought in frustration. "It's annoying because everything is made for small people."

"I'm not small," Kuroko sniffed, more out of habit than because he expected to convince the giant.

"Yes, you are," Murasakibara insisted, inevitably earning a frown, "but Kuro-chin isn't annoying about it, so it's ok."

"Why does Murasakibara-kun think small people are annoying?" Kuroko said with irritation, his sexual frustration making him considerably less patient than usual. He wasn't really anticipating an answer.

"They always complain," Murasakibara whined, to Kuroko's surprise. "If I play hard they say it's my fault I hurt them, but if I hold back they say I'm rude." Murasakibara shrugged. "No matter what I do, they complain, so I just do what I want now."

"That's not a problem I've ever had to face," Kuroko admitted, considering it for the first time. Murasakibara hummed.

"My ni-san is smaller than I am, and I was always getting in trouble for accidentally hurting him when we were playing. I never meant to," Murasakibara added, sounding sad and a little lost. "I always had to hold back because everyone else was too small, but it's hard to always have to be careful. Sometimes I just want to play without worrying about everyone else." Kuroko felt himself soften at Murasakibara's woes; he couldn't relate, but he could sympathize. Reaching out, he brushed the violet hair away from Murasakibara's face so he could look at his friend.

"I'm sorry, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko murmured, watching the giant nuzzle his hand, "I never realized." Murasakibara reached out and pulled the bluenette into his arms.

"It's not Kuro-chin's fault," Murasakibara replied. "Kuro-chin never tells me to hold back because I'm too strong, or says that he lost because he's small." _I'm not small_ , Kuroko thought to himself, but for once kept his mouth shut on the words.

"What about Akashi-kun?" Kuroko questioned, although if anyone told the red head he had made that connection, he would deny it vehemently.

"Aka-chin's amazing," Murasakibara said, sounding awed. "He's small, but he's so strong. He always wants me to try harder, and he never, ever makes excuses for himself. When other lose they say it's because they weren't feeling well, or the referee was bad, or it was someone else's fault. Aka-chin is amazing because he's so different."

"Yes," Kuroko mused. "Akashi really is amazing." They sat for a few minutes like that before going and brushing their teeth (Murasakibara had, of course, provided vanilla toothpaste) then settled into their futons.

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked as the bluenette began to drift off.

"Hmm," Kuroko hummed his acknowledgment.

"Can I hold you?" Kuroko forced himself to wake up a little and consider the question. Would he be comfortable wrapped up in Murasakibara's arms? The scent of vanilla filled his nose, and Kuroko thought of Murasakibara, who hated hard work, learning how to bake for him. He thought of the hours it must have taken to prepare this vanilla feast for him. He thought of Murasakibara going from store to store collecting the ingredients and finding the right flavour toothpaste for him.

"Yes," Kuroko murmured after a long pause, "I'd like that." Murasakibara reached out and gently drew the bluenette into his arms.

"Good night, Kuro-chin."

"Good night, Murasakibara-kun."


	27. Chapter 27

It's taken me a couple weeks to get this out, for which I apologize. I have been, if possible, even busier than I had anticipated, and it looks like I will continue to be busy for the next several weeks. Astonishingly, people are still finding this story, which is great. Thank you all for the support & reviews. This is my stay-sane project, and your support is crucial. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Kuroko gazed miserably at the bowl of tofu soup in front of him. The first delivery of tofu soup had arrived on Monday, and Kuroko had stared at the delivery man in dismay. How did Akashi find out? Unable to refuse the package, Kuroko had accepted it, and taken it back into the kitchen. Surely, however, three days of tofu soup was too much. Especially after he'd eaten it daily for two months, thanks to Aomine.

"What's up, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, entering the room and towelling his hair dry. Sunday had been a blissfully relaxing day for the two of them. They'd curled up, and Kuroko had petted Murasakibara while reading, neither stepping outside once. Hardly a word had been spoken, but neither teen had been moved to break the comfortable silence. They had reached out for each other, languorously exploring each other's mouths, and if it was embarrassing, it was also embarrassingly enjoyable for Kuroko. Monday had been interesting, as Kuroko was toured around Yonsen's surprisingly luxurious facilities and been introduced to Murasakibara's team. Kuroko refused to acknowledge the way sweat that trickled down his spine when he was introduced to Coach Araki. The last couple of days had involved the two of them settling into a routine. The days started with vanilla shakes, then they packed an assortment of vanilla treats for lunch at school. Murasakibara had proven unexpectedly efficient in taming Kuroko's bed head, apparently because he had to deal with his own long hair daily. Murasakibara was working hard during the basketball practices, which filled Kuroko with joy, and Himuro was proving to be every bit as amusing as Kuroko had predicted. At night, they curled up in each other's arms, and Kuroko was swiftly becoming accustomed to the weight and warmth of Murasakibara's body wrapped around his own. All in all, his time in Akita was going very well. There was only one drawback.

"Akashi-kun sent us tofu soup," Kuroko sulked, disappointed to have his vanilla paradise invaded, " _again_."

"Eh? Why?" _Because living off vanilla pudding is not the healthiest option_ , Kuroko thought, but didn't say, since he no intention of encouraging Akashi's interference. Kuroko, having spent years struggling to steal money from his parents to buy his precious eggs (which you _could_ live off, despite what Midorima might think) and hiding them in the back of the fridge beyond his parents' sight, was fundamentally incapable of throwing away food. This made his friendship with Aomine, Kagami, and Murasakibara entirely rational: how else was he supposed to make sure he didn't throw out food when people always served too much? Akashi knew this, of course. Feeling desperate, Kuroko decided to take matters into his own hands; he pulled out his phone.

"Please stop sending tofu soup, Akashi-kun," Kuroko requested, as soon as the redhead answered the call.

"I knew you'd call today, Kuroko." Of course, Kuroko frowned slightly. "I've recently discovered an excellent tofu soup delivery service and simply wanted your thoughts on the matter," Akashi added, without missing a beat, in an implausibly innocent tone. "There's no need to sound so hostile."

"This is a tofu soup attack," Kuroko refuted. It was an _invasion_ of his vanilla paradise, and he would _not_ tolerate it.

"I wouldn't call it an _attack_ ," Akashi said, sounding entirely too amused.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko warned, as Murasakibara took a seat across from him and dug in. Murasakibara didn't particularly like tofu soup, but not having eaten it for two months continuously, he had no major qualms about eating it when Akashi was making a point of sending it.

"Hello Aka-chin," Murasakibara greeted, loudly enough to be heard despite the fact that Kuroko hadn't put it on speaker.

"Won't you let me speak to Murasakibara, as well, Kuroko? Or would you like to keep me all to yourself?" Kuroko fought not to sigh (Akashi would _hear_ that) and switched the phone to speaker.

"Hello, Murasakibara," Akashi greeted.

"Mm," Murasakibara hummed, apparently deciding that having greeted Akashi once, he didn't need to do so twice.

"How is the tofu soup?" Akashi asked, sounding honestly interested in the giant's opinion.

"Hmm, not bad," Murasakibara assessed, after considering for a moment, "but I liked eating vanilla sweets better."

"You will grow weak if you only eat sweets," Akashi explained to Murasakibara, which was enough to quell any further objections from _him_.

"Maybe we can add vanilla," Kuroko suddenly suggested.

"To what?" Akashi asked, sounding suspicious.

"The soup," Kuroko answered, because what else were they talking about? His eyes gleamed at the possibilities. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Akashi made a pained sound over the phone.

"Absolutely not," Akashi objected forcefully. Kuroko shook his head, even though Akashi would not be able to see him over the phone. "That's sacrilege."

"That's not the correct use of that term," Kuroko corrected, "and cooking is all about innovation."

"You can't innovate beyond perfection," Akashi denied.

"Akashi-kun's objection is not reasonable," Kuroko informed him primly.

"I am always reasonable," Akashi assured him, so seriously that it was a real struggle for Kuroko not to laugh.

"Kuro-chin's laughing at you, Aka-chin," Murasakibara told him.

"Is he?" The redhead questioned ominously.

"Mm," Murasakibara murmured affirmatively. Kuroko glared at Murasakibara for ratting him out.

"Maybe I need to think of a suitable punishment," Akashi threatened, only half-joking.

"Now Kuro-chin's glaring at me," Murasakibara reported between mouthfuls. It really was unfair how much some people could eat, even if they were ridiculously huge. Well, having a small appetite had saved Kuroko, so there was something to be said for that, even if he did envy his friend's physique.

"That's not very nice of you, Kuroko," Akashi scolded. "And you threatened the tofu soup. It's a good thing the Nationals start next week, otherwise I would need to discuss your vanilla addiction with Coach Araki." Kuroko froze at the thought. In only three days, Coach Araki had made it onto Kuroko's list of top five people he should _not_ defy. The phone call ended abruptly when some business came up for Akashi, and inevitably, Kuroko and Murasakibara had tofu soup for dinner. Knowing that swearing Murasakibara to secrecy would be pointless, Kuroko had used his misdirection to the max in order to add vanilla to his. Shockingly, he found that it tasted _worse_ afterwards. How this was possible remained a mystery to the bluenette, and he pondered the question all evening. He had taken over doing the dishes as payment for all the vanilla baking Murasakibara had done, so by the time he put the last of the dishes away, Murasakibara was comfortably lounging on the sofa.

"We have homework," Kuroko reminded his friend, not seeing any effort made to address that issue.

"Eh? I don't wanna," Murasakibara complained, unmoving.

"You need to keep your grades up, or you'll loose your sports scholarship," Kuroko pointed out, knowing that Murasakibara was happy at Yonsen, and that his family could never afford to send him there without a scholarship. Murasakibara considered his point.

"Hmm, come sit with me, then, Kuro-chin," Murasakibara requested, reaching out and effortlessly lifting Kuroko onto his lap. Kuroko glowered at the unintentional display of strength. "Kuro-chin shouldn't frown," Murasakibara commented. "It ruins his pretty face." So saying, the giant took shifted Kuroko so they were facing each other and covered the bluenette's lips with his own. Feeling Murasakibara trace his tongue against his lips was all the encouragement Kuroko needed to open his mouth and allow his friend access. Kuroko was beginning to suspect that he had grown as fond of his Murasakibara's intoxicating kisses as he was of vanilla shakes, and the thought disturbed him a little. Nothing should be as good as vanilla shake. Murasakibara's tongue was slow, and almost lazy, exploring every corner of Kuroko's mouth with indolent grace. Kuroko blushed and pulled back when a moan escaped him, having completely lost track of time.

"Does Kuro-chin like kissing me?" Murasakibara asked, looking totally earnest about the question. Kuroko thought his flushed state and laboured breathing would have been enough of an answer for anyone else, but the giant obviously needed more.

"Yes," Kuroko admitted, knowing he was blushing heavily, "I really enjoy kissing Murasakibara-kun."

"Hmm," Murasakibara hummed, looking at him carefully. "That's ok then." Kuroko thought the kisses were considerably more than ok, but didn't feel like further embarrassing himself by pointing that out.

"Do you...like me, Murasakibara-kun?" Because despite all of the indications, he usually forthright friend had never said the words.

"Everyone likes Kuro-chin," Murasakibara replied, with shocking ease.

"No, I mean, romantically," Kuroko clarified, certain he had exceeded the human limit for embarrassment for one day.

"Hmm, so do I," Murasakibara agreed. Kuroko stared at him. "Aka-chin suggested sharing Kuro-chin, right? So there's no problem."

"Why didn't you join us at Akashi's condo?" Reticence was not a trait Kuroko associated with the gluttonous giant, and his absence from their cuddles had been conspicuous.

"Because Aka-chin needed you more," was the completely unexpected answer. Kuroko felt himself soften, thinking of all the ways the giant showed he cared. Vanilla treats, of course, were still the best expression of love.

"So you're fine with this?" He clarified.

"Hmm, I don't mind sharing if everyone else is." Kuroko sighed at Murasakibara, still not convinced it was really that simple. He glanced over and realized that it was nearly time for bed and they hadn't gotten any homework done. This had to stop. Or at least be managed in some way. Kuroko was _not_ willing to fail his classes, no matter how good the make out sessions were.

"We need to get ready for bed," Kuroko acknowledged, pushing off the giant's lap.

"Kuro-chin can use the bathroom first," Murasakibara offered, making Kuroko smile.

"Thank you," he replied, heading over to begin his absolutions. Once he had bathed (with vanilla body wash) and wiped himself dry, he brushed his teeth. Pausing, he examined himself in the mirror. Kuroko was certain it was unfair. Murasakibara had this long flexible tongue, which could do the most amazing things, and Kuroko had - he stuck his tongue out at the mirror - this little stump of a tongue. How was he supposed to reciprocate if this was all he had to work with? Never having been one to give up simply because he stood at a disadvantage, Kuroko considered his options. His fall-back, when facing an uphill battle, had always been to practice harder, but Murasakibara opposed that approach for basketball. Would he be opposed to that approach for kissing as well? So far Murasakibara had seemed happy with their kisses, but they lacked the fiery urgency of Akashi's. Was that a reflection of their different personalities, or was Murasakibara less interested in them than Akashi? Kuroko frowned at his reflection, not having any answers, and putting his toothbrush away. Once again, he had appreciated the vanilla toothpaste Murasakibara had provided for him.

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, startling the bluenette out of his reverie.

"I'm coming, Murasakibara-kun," he replied, raising his voice slightly, and wiping his face before opening the door. The embarrassment which had first plagued Kuroko after each make out session was slowly easing, and there was only a light dusting of pink on his cheeks when he faced his friend.

"Am I any good at kissing?" Kuroko asked bluntly, knowing he would not sleep well until he resolved the issue.

"Eh?" Murasakibara stared at him wide-eyed, looking completely taken aback. "I like kissing Kuro-chin," Murasakibara replied, which wasn't quite the reply Kuroko was looking for.

"But am I any good at it?" Kuroko pressed.

"I wouldn't know," Murasakibara answered honestly. "I've never kissed anyone else." Kuroko's blush deepened at the admission. He couldn't say anything about that, so he was grateful that Murasakibara steered the conversation back to the original topic. "Did someone say Kuro-chin's kisses are bad?" The possibility that Murasakibara might feel sufficiently moved by this to do something prompted Kuroko the reply quickly.

"No, I just wanted to make sure..." Somethings were just _hard_ to say, "... that you like kissing me."

"Kuro-chin is soft and sweet," Murasakibara assured him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "I like kissing Kuro-chin." Whatever inhibitions affected Kuroko clearly did not apply to the giant. _How can he say that?_

"Ah, ok," Kuroko mumbled, fighting to keep his voice even. Not able to prolong the conversation, Kuroko stepped to the side to let his friend prepare for bed. Mortified, but relieved, Kuroko curled into his futon. He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, Murasakibara was gathering him in his arms as they settled in for another night of cuddles. Kuroko was certain he could get used to this.


	28. Chapter 28

I'm pretty worn out, and it's been a while since I wrote a more serious chapter, so I have no idea if this is any good. I'm still busy, but I will try to keep this pace. Thank you all for your support and kind wishes. I hope you like it.

* * *

"It has to be an F-cup, man," a first year named Higoshi insisted, flipping open the porn magazine he had brought. Murasakibara thought that the guy must be stupid to bring that, given how often Coach Araki checked their lockers, but that wasn't his problem. He idly considered warning the guy that bringing porn into the locker room was inviting trouble, but decided that he couldn't be bothered, and chose to ignore the first year in favour of finishing his snacks. "I mean look at that."

"No way," another first year exclaimed, pulling out his own porn magazine. _Is it national porn day?_ Murasakibara wondered, only mildly curious. _Mine-chin would know._ "This B-cup is great, but it's all about that ass." Kuroko began undressing beside him, and Murasakibara let his eyes wander over the bluenette's porcelain skin.

"You're an ass man, eh, Kamata?" One of the second years grinned. "Me, too. Nothing like a nice tight ass in your hands." _I'd rather have a snack in my hands_ , Murasakibara thought, then paused to consider the matter more carefully as he stared at Kuroko's ass. Murasakibara knew it was all tight muscle from Kuroko's exercising. _What would that feel like in my hands? Lots of people try to grab it, so it must feel really good?_

"Aha, I've go to agree with Higoshi here," a third year chimed in. "An F-cup is great. Although hell, a G-cup is even better when you can get one." Catching Kuroko's eye, the bluenette glanced away with a blush, but didn't turn away or tell Murasakibara to stop looking. Murasakibara smiled, content that the bluenette was not truly opposed to his scrutiny.

"You've never touched a G-cup in your life, Morita," another third year disclaimed. "Best you've ever gotten is Yonai-san with a C-cup."

"Better than you with -" Morita lashed back, but Tani, a new regular, interrupted them.

"What about you, Himuro?" He asked, glancing over. None of the second year regulars had offered an opinion, and rank mattered, even when it came to sexual preferences.

"Hmm, I'm less worries about body shape, and more interested in experience," he voted.

"Oh? An older woman fetish?" One of the third years laughed. "You got a thing for Coach?" Murasakibara frowned. _Is he mocking Himuro? Who would be interested in Coach Araki?_

"No point having a nice body if she doesn't know what to do with it," Himuro assured the others, deflecting the accusation about Coach.

"So you've done it with a college girl?" Himuro smirked, but didn't reply. After a moment, the others realized that he wasn't going to spill, and turned to Murasakibara.

"What about you?" He asked. "What kind of girls of you like?"

"I don't like girls," Murasakibara replied bluntly, his words sending ripples of shock out. Kuroko moved to stand beside him. Seeing the team stare at him, excluding Kuroko and Himuro who already knew, Murasakibara shrugged. "They're weak, and always complain. I have to be careful not to hurt you guys on the court, how could I ever touch a girl? I'd break her." Awkwardness settled over the room. _Well,_ Murasakibara thought, _at least his snacks still tasted good._

"So, what, you've been eying us up this whole time?" Some third year spat out.

"Eh? No, you aren't my type at all." Murasakibara reached out to ruffle Kuroko's hair. "I like Kuro-chin." For once, Kuroko didn't bat his hand away.

"Are you ok with that?" Morita asked Kuroko incredulously. "You're staying with him, aren't you?"

"Murasakibara-kun would never do anything I didn't like," Kuroko replied firmly. Murasakibara glanced down with admiration. The bluenette was, by far, the smallest person in the room, but he held his ground without any hesitation. Well, Kuroko's courage was one of the many reasons they were all so attracted to him. Kuroko, now fully dressed, turned his attention back to Murasakibara. "And I'm going to tell Momoi-San that you called her weak." Murasakibara opened his eyes, a little alarmed by the threat. The rest of the team had fallen silent to watch the exchange.

"Momoi-san isn't weak," he backtracked, because if Momoi-san felt like proving to him that she was strong, she would find a way to _kill_ him. He could crush lots of people, but Momoi was _sneaky_. You had to be careful around her.

"You just said that girls are weak, and since you were talking about all girls, that clearly included Momoi-san and Coach Araki," Kuroko continued, undaunted.

"Coach doesn't count as a girl, she's a teacher," Murasakibara complained. _And she uses a shinai_ , he finished in his head. Himuro snorted quietly, and Murasakibara glanced over at him.

"Some of your friends have crushes on teachers," Kuroko stated, in a tone that made it fact, not suspicion. Murasakibara looked around the room.

"Who?" He asked, finding the notion a little creepy. _It can't be Himuro, can it?_

"It doesn't matter," the bluenette said. "What matters is that you cannot make such generalized statements. There are always exceptions that will prove you wrong." Murasakibara was beginning to get a little worried about where this conversation was going.

"If I make more ice cream for Kuro-chin's shakes, will Kuro-chin not tell on me?" Kuroko held his eyes, considering the offer. Murasakibara held his breath; it was the best offer he could think of, off hand.

"Alright," Kuroko agreed. "Vanilla shakes for the rest of my trip, and we have a deal." Murasakibara thought Kuroko looked amused, but wasn't sufficiently confident about it to take that risk. _No point getting killed by Momoi-san_ , he reasoned. And he'd been planning on providing vanilla shakes for Kuroko all along.

"Are you ok with having a gay guy on the team, Captain?" Morita asked pointedly.

"I don't care if Murasakibara likes _goats_ ," Captain Terada snapped, finally joining the discussion. "As long as it doesn't interfere with his game, it's not my problem." There had been difficulty finding a new captain this year; the captain and vice-captain had both retired last year after their loss in the Winter High, and only Himuro, Murasakibara, and Wei Liu had been left as regulars on the team. Faced with the choice of making a foreigner captain, a second year, or a new regular, Terada had been appointed. Perhaps understanding the tensions in the team, he kept himself a little distanced from everyone else. He wasn't Akashi, but Murasakibara supposed he was leading the team well enough.

"I don't like goats," Murasakibara thought he should clarify that point, "except for their milk. Muro-chin taught me that you can make great things with goat's milk. And I've liked Kuro-chin for years," Murasakibara added, "so nothing has changed."

"Will playing together be a problem?" Captain asked, glancing between them. Murasakibara frowned at his captain.

"We played together at Teiko, and always won," Murasakibara pointed out.

"That shrimp played for _Teiko!_ " Higoshi screeched.

"I'm not a shrimp," Kuroko replied, only a slight twitch giving away his irritation, "and it's rude to point."

"Kuro-chin was our sixth player," Murasakibara told the team proudly, "and we all acknowledge Kuro-chin. Seirin is a lot weaker without him."

"Please don't call Seirin weak, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko scolded. Murasakibara sighed. Kuroko always got worked up about things like that.

"Kuroko do you have a problem playing with Murasakibara, knowing that he likes you?" Kuroko shook his head.

"I think it's an honour to have someone like you for who you are," the bluenette replied seriously.

"Alright, then I don't care if Murasakibara is gay, we play as we are," Captain Terada decided. There were varying degrees of composure, but in the end, everyone nodded.

"Am I going to be called the gay guy from now on?" Murasakibara questioned, scowling slightly at the prospect.

"You are gay," Morita commented.

"Yes," Murasakibara agreed, "but I'm still me." Would the fact that he didn't like girls overwrite everything else his team knew about him? He didn't like that at all.

"Of course you are," Himuro assured him. Kuroko made a point of staying close to his side, which Murasakibara appreciated.

"Why does it matter?" Murasakibara questioned, feeling a little lost.

"People tend to hang out with people who have things in common with them," Kuroko replied softly. "By saying that you don't like girls, you put yourself in a different group from them."

"The gay group instead of the straight group?" Murasakibara pursued. Kuroko nodded.

"Essentially, yes."

"But I'm still in the basketball group," Murasakibara pointed out. "Why are they worried about my other groups?"

"...I really can't say," Kuroko said. "I suppose people just want to tidily sort people into categories, but once you do that, you miss all the subtleties."

The team walked onto the court for practice. Nationals had begun two weeks earlier, but the teams hey were playing were ones they had soundly beaten at the Inter High, so Murasakibara had not been expecting much from them. Not wanting to fight with Kuroko, he kept the thought to himself. Kuroko was an exception in his eyes; someone who could overcome the gap created by raw talent was exceedingly rare. Most teams were heavily limited, and playing them was simply a way to move forward so they could play more challenging matches against the other Generation of Miracles teams. Murasakibara had been training harder than ever the past few months. Loosing to Seirin because he could no longer jump had been frustrating beyond anything he had ever experienced before, and Murasakibara had vowed that as long as one player could keep jumping, he would be able to keep jumping too. Understanding that, Coach Araki had him doing hundreds of squats and drills so practice had become even less engaging than before. Murasakibara noticed some of his teammates giving him uncomfortable looks during the practice, but shrugged it off. He didn't care what people said anyway, and as long as no one bothered Kuroko about it, it didn't really matter to him.

"Kurokocchi!" A piercing voice called out from the door. "Murasakibaracchi!" Murasakibara frowned. They had just been putting the balls away when a blond blur tackled Kuroko.

"Get off Kuro-chin," Murasakibara grumbled, wandering over.

"Oi!" Morita called out, walking over. "Are you gay, too?" Kise stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Is this a new greeting in Akita?" Kise asked, his eyes meeting Murasakibara's over Kuroko's head.

"They just found out that Murasakibara doesn't like girls," Kuroko answered, slightly muffled by the arms Kise still had wrapped around him, "so your display is making them suspicious."

"Ah," Kise said, rubbing the back of his neck, and clearly considering his options. After a long moment, he answered. "I'm bi." By this point, most of the team had gathered around. Murasakibara was astonished that Kise had admitted that, and by the way Kuroko went still, so was he.

"So, what you'll go for anyone?!" Apparently in Morita's books, being bi was worse than being gay. Kise snorted.

"If I went for anyone, I'd have a hard on all the time, and never be able to model. Could you _imagine_ them trying to sell photos like that?" Kuroko made a sound like a cough. "I'm actually super picky."

"So, what, you like Kuroko too?" Tani asked, wide-eyed.

"Kurokocchi is kind, intelligent, brave, hard-working, honest, and absolutely beautiful," Kise said, apparently confident. Murasakibara was familiar enough with the blond, though, to see the way his arms tightened around Kuroko as he spoke. "What's not to like?" Kuroko shifted a little in his arms, but Murasakibara saw that the bluenette's ears had gone pink. He reached out to ruffle the patch of blue hair visible.

"So you two both like the same guy?" Murasakibara scowled. What did that have to do with the team?

"I think that's our business," Kuroko told them, untangling himself from Kise.

"Who do _you_ like?" Higoshi questioned. "Are you gay, too?"

"I don't know you well enough to answer that," Kuroko informed him, because Kuroko had always been someone who had boundaries. It took a lot of work to be allowed close to Kuroko, and it was one of the few things Murasakibara felt was, without question, worth the effort.

"I don't care what you say about me," Murasakibara began, because it was true, "but I'll crush anyone who gossips about Kise-chin." They all knew that Kise's job was important to him, and the fact that he was gay shouldn't be a reason for Kise to be in a bad situation.

"Murasakibaracchi, I'm going over to your place for dinner," Kise announced, drawing the attention back to him.

"Did I invite you?" Murasakibara wondered. He was fairly sure he hadn't, but if Kuroko had invited him...

"Nope! I texted Kurokocchi since I was in town for a shoot-" Murasakibara glanced at the bluenette curiously, who shook his head.

"I don't often read his texts," Kuroko admitted. "I thought he was still in America."

"Kurokocchi!" Kise wailed loudly, tears streaming down his face. "I told you so many times that I was coming home and would visit since I had a shoot in Akita!" Kise's exuberance was almost exhausting to watch. Where did he get all the energy?

"We're having tofu soup," Kuroko told him, apparently not having any problem with the model joining them. Maybe Kuroko wanted someone to help him finish his tofu soup? Although they never wasted any. Murasakibara shrugged. If Kuroko wanted Kise to join him, then he would. Murasakibara moved towards the change room, content to have the three of them gathered at his place; having Kuroko stay with him had made him realize how lonely he had been before. He cherished every day he had with the bluenette.


	29. Chapter 29

I have art! In order not to infringe on anyone else's rights, my husband made a 3D Kuroko & stadium for me! I'm very happy to be able to have art for my story! I hope you like it!

By virtue of catching a really nasty bug, my schedule opened up, so you get a new chapter early! I've been wanting to write this one since the story began, and am looking forward to your feedback. It also seems that I owe an apology for the mistakes in the previous chapter. I do go back to the manga and wikia for reference points in order to minimize my mistakes, but I couldn't find any information on who the new line-up was for Yonsen. Also, I've been trying to track all the nicknames, but appreciate getting a list. I will be referring back to that. Thank you for your continued support.

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"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," Kuroko panted, suddenly appearing beside Momoi. Kuroko had travelled back to Tokyo for the Nationals a day early. He was happy to be back in his own bed, although, to his surprise, he had missed the comfortable warmth of his Murasakibara blanket. Since Too and Yonsen weren't playing that morning, Momoi had asked to meet him before their afternoon match. She was waiting, almost posed, at the entrance to the park, inevitably eliciting leers from people passing by; one guy narrowly avoided riding his bike into a garbage bin, too distracted by her to notice it. Her outfit was both dramatic and flattering, as expected of her; Kuroko sincerely hoped she had a change of clothes for the games, or no one would be able to focus. As used to her as he was, even he had paused for a moment to admire her beauty.

"Tetsu-kun!" She exclaimed, reaching out and drawing him into a hug. For once, he didn't need to remind her that he couldn't breathe, since she quickly released him. "You look great! I've missed you since you've gone to Akita! How is it? How's Muk-kun?"

"Murasakibara-kun is doing well," he assured her, "and I'm enjoying spending time with him and Himuro." He hesitated, skating around the topic they had unofficially come to discuss, then, because she would find out regardless, added, "he came out to his team a couple weeks ago. Kise-kun was there and admitted that he was bi."

"I had heard rumours about Muk-kun," she acknowledged, because her information network was second to none, "but not about Ki-chan." She looked a little put out by that, but Kuroko was relieved that Murasakibara's threat had been enough to stifle _that_ particular rumour. Who knew what kind of impact that kind of gossip would have on Kise's career? And Kise needed that money. "I also heard that Muk-kun admitted to liking Tetsu-kun." Kuroko held back a sigh, as they carefully treaded towards the heart of the discussion. He had been anxious about how awkward their conversation was bound to be; all the same, he owed it to her to try.

"Maybe we can stroll," Kuroko suggested, having chosen to meet at a park for exactly that reason. The day was almost flawless, and unseasonably warm; meeting outside would give them a chance to appreciate it. Of course, moving also allowed them to talk without staring at each other uncomfortably the whole time.

"Sure!" She agreed, with brittle cheer. They walked in silence for a few minutes as Kuroko tried to find the words to begin the conversation. Honestly, he had hoped that Momoi would start the ball rolling herself, but it seemed she had no more idea what to say than he did.

"Momoi-san-"

"Tetsu-kun-" They began simultaneously. They glanced at each other and chuckled a little, feeling the tension in the air ease.

"You first," Kuroko said, eliciting a small smile from Momoi.

"Dai-chan has missed you," she commented, "but he's also been very happy lately." The words were not quite a question. They strolled for a moment as Kuroko considered his options.

"We both know that Akashi-kun is a little crazy," he began, choosing to trust Momoi completely. She stared at him in astonishment, then, finally, began laughing. Kuroko smiled gently at her.

"Tetsu-kun!" She giggled, wiping tears from her eyes, and looking, for once, like someone who could be Aomine's childhood friend.

"Akashi-kun suggested I have multiple lovers." Kuroko dropped the bomb once Momoi had gotten ahold of herself. She stared at him wide-eyed. "You must have suspected," he defended, a little off balance at her response. Or lack thereof.

"...I had wondered," she finally agreed, glancing away with a blush. They continued walking in silence for a moment. "...who are they?"

"The old team," Kuroko answered, knowing that she suspected as much. "Murasakibara, Midorima, Aomine, Kise, and Akashi. At the moment." Out of the corner of his eye, Kuroko saw Momoi draw a deep breathe, steeling herself.

"Are you only interested in guys?"

"...No," Kuroko denied. He had gone from not being sure he could accept a guy as a lover to not being sure he could accept a woman. How had that happened?

"...Am I invited?"

"Would you like to be?" Kuroko deflected, watching her carefully.

"...I ...don't know," she confessed. They continued along the path, and Kuroko gave her time to assemble her thoughts. "I want children," she murmured, looking up at the sky. "Not now, but eventually."

"Momoi-san's children would be very cute," Kuroko assured her, making her smile wistfully.

"I've always thought that relationships are something you build to last as long as possible. A lifetime, if possible."

"And you don't know how that would work with multiple lovers," Kuroko supplied.

"Yes," she agreed. "I love you, Tetsu-kun, but I want to know that any relationship I try could work out, long term." Kuroko nodded. He didn't want to go out with anyone, only able to see the way their relationship would end, either. It would be like going through the motions of playing a game without really trying. What was the objective of that? "Do you think there's a future in this?"

"...I don't know," he eventually said, turning his gaze to the sky and wondering at the vastness of it all. "I can understand that it doesn't work for everyone. I think, in my case though, it might be the only option."

"Because you love them all." Despite the fact that Kuroko had realized this, he felt a blush stain his cheeks, and turned, at last, to meet her eyes.

"They aren't the only ones I love," he told her softly, for the first time. She turned to him, and her eyes began to tear up.

"Tetsu-kun," she murmured, her voice shaking. The moment was fragile as they stared at each other, tears gathered in their eyes. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Neither do I," Kuroko acknowledged, because there were no certainties in love. "I'm greedy to even ask."

"I'll think about it," she said softly. He was relieved, and a little amazed, that she was prepared to consider the possibility. In some ways, realizing that he truly loved the others had led to him realizing that he loved her. He could no more push her away then he could push Kise away, in the end, maybe for the same reasons.

When had he realized that he loved them? When he was snuggled up with Murasakibara? Making out with Midorima? Talking to Kise? It was impossible to say at what point he realized that his feelings for them were truly beyond the realm of friendship, but he knew now what they meant to him. And if he had to go through everything again to get to this point, he would. Perhaps it was strange, but the past few months had made it clear to him that he would never loose them in that way again. Perhaps with time and distance they would grow apart, but they would always hold pieces of his heart.

Lunch passed in a sort of haze, and it felt, to Kuroko, like a date. His first real date, although Momoi bought her own meal (because they both knew that anything Kuroko bought was at Akashi's expense). He was looking forward to the match that afternoon against Too, but for the moment, enemies were friends - lovers, possibly - and the mood was relaxed. Inevitably, guys tried to pick up Momoi, not realizing that she was with Kuroko, but they were easily dismissed, and the two happily prepared to face each other in the upcoming game. Their time came to a close, and they headed to the train station.

"How many stops are we going?" Kuroko asked, glancing around for a map. He disliked transit in general, but knew that Momoi drew so much attention wherever she went that no one was likely to notice or harass him. It wasn't the first time they had traveled alone together, although it had been years since that camp - and it really wasn't _their_ fault everyone else got on the wrong train, since Akashi was being driven up.

"Six," Momoi replied, obviously having investigated before coming down. The station was busy, but not uncomfortably so: no morning commuters jammed together, nothing to prevent them from breathing easily. As long as Kuroko had room to move (and he did, today) he had no problem using his misdirection on the train. Momoi served as a completely different sort of light from Aomine of Kagami, but she was used to the attention and paid it no mind. When they boarded their train, they were lucky enough to find seats together. They sat quietly, both having a lot to think about, but having enjoyed the time they spent together. Three stops along, a group of guys stepped on the train, rowdy and possibly drunk; the atmosphere in the compartment changed at once.

"Hey, babe," one said, spotting Momoi and walking up to her. "You look lonely. Why don't you join us for a little fun?" He leaned over her seat, placing a hand on the back and trapping her in place. The fact that he made a point of looking down her shirt was not lost on either Kuroko or Momoi. The bluenette got to his feet angrily and stepped right up to the stranger before speaking.

"Leave her alone," Kuroko commanded angrily.

"Whoa! Where'd you come from, shorty?" The guy jumped at his sudden appearance. _Shorty_. As if he wasn't angry enough.

"Hey, what's going on?" One of his friends asked, walking over. The rest trailed behind, trapping them between the seat and escape with a wall of human flesh.

"This little guy is trying to stand up for his girl, I think. Even though she obviously needs a _real_ man to please her." Momoi cheeks burned, tears-eyed and humiliated; Kuroko felt ice coat his veins. Before he could speak again, one of the newcomers opened their mouth.

"For a guy, this one's pretty hot. Why don't we bring both of them?" He reached out and wrapped a large hand around Kuroko's jaw forcing him to meet his eyes. Old memories choked Kuroko, but he stared back defiantly. He would not - _could not_ \- remember now. Not when Momoi needed him. Sky blue eyes rebelliously met dark brown ones, while another guy grabbed Momoi's wrist.

"We decline," Kuroko's rage almost froze the air around them, and as long as it hid his fear, it was good enough.

"Let go of Tetsu-kun!" Momoi cried, speaking up for the first time. Trying to protect Kuroko galvanized her into action in a way them targeting her had failed to do. Kuroko, on the other hand, was focused on getting Momoi away form them. Kuroko reached up and grabbed the hand holding him in place, trying to break their grip. The stranger didn't release him, and he didn't seem to be suffering despite the pressure Kuroko was exerting on his hand. The other passengers looked away, unwilling to get involved.

"Look at you," his captor continued, "with that tight little ass, I bet you've been ridden before. You know where you-"

"STOP IT!" Momoi shrieked, desperately struggling. "Adachi! Stop it!" Everyone swung around to look at her. Kuroko was possibly the most shocked of all of them.

"You know me, sweetheart?" His focus was now locked on the pinkette.

"Adachi, point guard of the Hokkaido basketball team," Momoi summarized, as if that was an explanation. To anyone who knew her, it was.

"If you're a fan, you should just come along quietly. No point making a fuss."

"You play basketball?" Kuroko asked, glancing between them. Seeing their expressions, it was obvious that they all did. Kuroko felt something shift in his gut, old memories pushed back for the moment. "No one should harass people," Kuroko lectured, "but basketball players should _never_ use their strength to harm others." Because basketball player had to be held to a higher standard as far as Kuroko was concerned.

"What, you play basketball, shorty?" _How many times are they going to call him shorty in a single conversation?_ Kuroko wondered, his usual irritation lost beneath the mountain of rage and fear he was feeling.

"Yes, I do." He met their gaze evenly. "I challenge you to a game of basketball."


	30. Chapter 30

I've split this chapter in two becasue it was getting too long; I'm hoping to get the next part out reasonably quickly. Thank you to everyone for their reviews & well wishes. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. This is roughly the half way point.

(I am feeling much better. And yes, Saniwa, real husband. Thank you for the compliment; it always makes me happy to see people appreciate his work.)

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Aomine glanced at his phone again. _Nothing. Where are they?_ He wondered, worried. They were half an hour from the start of the quarter final match and neither Momoi nor Kuroko had arrived. People had begun filing back into the stadium and finding their seats, but there was no sign of Aomine's important people.

"Any word?" Midorima asked, too anxious for pretence. That obnoxious hawk-eyed guy hovered awkwardly behind him, apparently stuck babysitting the shooter against his will. At least he was keeping his mouth shut. Under different circumstances, it would have been funny. As it was, Aomine simply shook his head.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise wailed. "Momoicchi!" Kise had been texting them non-stop, as if simply sending enough texts would get him an answer. It did say something about how often he usually got replies, but Aomine wasn't up for teasing him about it.

Momoi had said that she would arrive an hour before the game. He knew she been meeting with Kuroko and had given her fifteen minutes before he'd tried calling. Which was generous, since she was _never_ late for a match. When he hadn't been able to get through to her or Kuroko, he'd called Murasakibara, just in case. The giant hadn't heard anything, and had taken it upon himself to call in Akashi, because that was his solution to everything. It should have been fine for Kuroko and Momoi to go out together, but it was never good when Kuroko went missing. So all of the Generation of Miracles, a few of their teammates, and Seirin had ended up gathered in the hall in front of the change rooms. Aomine wasn't sure who had called Seirin in, but if Akashi didn't object to their presence, he didn't really care.

"I should have gone with Kuro-chin," Murasakibara contemplated, munching on his snacks, and once again trusting Akashi to fix everything.

"They needed to talk," Aomine argued. "You would have been in the way."

"They've just arrived," Akashi announced, getting off his phone and rejoining the group. Well, apparently sometimes faith paid off.

"How do you know?" Kagami asked.

"I had someone check their GPS signals," Akashi explained. "They are now in the building." Everyone, except the Generation of Miracles, stared at him.

"You are tracking them with GPS?" Riko - Rido? - questioned, with obvious disbelief.

"I track the GPS signals of all of my former teammates," the redhead assured her.

"Because that's not freaky," one of the Seirin members - honestly, Aomine was never going to be able to keep them straight - muttered.

"You've obviously never been in a situation where you had to locate them all, at speed," Akashi calmly rebutted. "Finding them requires complex considerations ranging from the price and selection of sweets at nearby stores, to the schedules of the other clubs they were part of, to the best locations for a discreet nap, to the next day's lucky item and the nearby stores most likely to carry it, and Kise's modelling schedule..." Akashi trailed off and shrugged, not mentioning Kuroko's situation, which had been the real catalyst. Put like that, Aomine supposed the GPS did make sense. Just a little, though. "It was simpler to just provide them all with a phone with GPS so that I could find them. Of course, I also triple the training menu of anyone who deliberately ignores my call." Memories of the one time Aomine had done _that_ floated to the surface. People said he was dumb, but he could learn quickly with the right motivation, and Akashi was a master at knowing how to motivate people. How Akashi had even gotten that photo was still a mystery.

"And you're ok with that?" Wakamatsu questioned, staring at Aomine. What was he supposed to do? Say no to Akashi? Aomine almost snorted at the thought.

"It's Akashi," he answered, because what else could he say, really?

"Kuroko, Momoi," Akashi called out, halting any further discussion. Aomine swung around and froze. Kise, when he cried genuinely, looked like a work of art; Momoi had never possessed that skill. Her face was red and blotchy, her eyes swollen, although it was clear she had made some effort to clean herself up. Kuroko kept his head down; he was clutching a shake in his hand, but his movements were stiff. If they hadn't been holding hands as they approached, Aomine might have wondered if they had had some terrible fight; as it was, he was at a loss.

"Satsuki? Tetsu?" Momoi met his eyes, and began to cry again.

"Dai-chan!" She sobbed, throwing herself at him without loosening her hold on Kuroko. Kuroko was, therefore, dragged with her. Aomine ended up wrapping one arm around Momoi while reaching out to grab Kuroko's chin and get him to meet his eyes. His fingers had barely grazed the bluenette's skin when his hand was slapped harshly away. Everyone stared at the bluenette in shock. _What the hell had happened?_

"Sorry," Kuroko muttered, without glancing up.

"What happened, Kuroko?" Akashi asked softly, stepping forward, but making no move to touch the bluenette. The words were a gentle command that Kuroko refused to answer. He kept his head down and avoided everyone's gaze. Even though he was holding a precious vanilla shake, he refused to drink it. Aomine felt himself tensing in alarm. Vanilla shake was Kuroko's solution to _everything. This isn't good,_ he thought.

"It's my fault-" Momoi began, drawing a shuddering breath. She was still holding Aomine with one hand and Kuroko with the other.

"It isn't!" Kuroko protested instantly, looking up at last. The rage Aomine had expected to see burned in his eyes, but with it was a fear, better called terror; it had been a long time since Aomine had seen that expression on the bluenette's face. He felt the others stir around him; they, too, recognized that look.

"Did something happen while you were out?" Kise asked softly, joining in; the blond couldn't be left out of anything.

"We had had a good morning and were heading here when some guys got on the train," Momoi began, unable to meet their eyes, "I think they might have been drunk, and one of them started trying to pick me up." They all nodded at that, having seen similar things countless times. "He trapped me in my eat, and looked down my shirt, and..." While flirting with Momoi was a given, intimidating her and being totally crude about it was not. "Tetsu-kun stepped in and told him to stop. Then his friends got involved and... The things they said to Tetsu-kun!" She looked up and her eyes were hard. Whatever had happened to her had upset her; whatever had happened to Kuroko had _enraged_ her. She only ever really got like that when someone she loved was hurt, and she had always loved Kuroko. "Tetsu-kun challenged them to a game of basketball." Aomine was not the only one left staring at her; how was that the conclusion to the story?

"People like that don't have the right to play basketball," Kuroko told them, his fury making his eyes almost glow. Kuroko, on the other hand, would always fiercely protect others while failing to consider his own well being. Aomine stared at the bluenette as everyone honed in on his words. Kuroko had just made a declaration of war, and it was their job to follow through. Well, Aomine was fine with destroying the people who had hurt Kuroko and Momoi.

"Well, well, well," Haizaki drawled, appearing out of nowhere. "If it isn't Teiko's princess."

"Please don't call me that," Kuroko objected, slight cracks showing in his usually emotionless facade. Seirin glanced between them, having apparently assumed that Teiko's princess must refer to Momoi.

"Don't be like that," Haizaki complained. "You've even got your knights here for you-"

"Shut the fuck up," Aomine growled, finally finding a target for his growing rage.

"Kise," Akashi cut in, far too calmly, "perhaps you could give Kuroko a massage before his game. He'll injure himself if he plays like this." Kuroko met Momoi's eyes briefly before reluctantly allowing himself to be towed away by the blond. Aomine watched them leave, but didn't move from his place. "Haizaki," the redhead continued, "there is nothing for you here. I suggest you go on your way."

"Sure thing," he smirked. "Just wanted to make sure our princess was fine. I'd _hate_ for anything to happen to him." Aomine trembled with fury, but Momoi's hand on his shoulder restrained him; she still needed him. After Haizaki sauntered off, Akashi returned his attention to Momoi.

"When is the game?" Akashi asked, apparently choosing to leave the other details for another time.

"Three weeks from now," Momoi answered. "They wanted to play right away, but I convinced them that we had the nationals, and since they are basketball players themselves, they eventually let us go." Her shaky voice implied that they had not simply 'let them go'. Aomine felt his fury grow.

"You all need to destroy them," Momoi told them, fiercely angry. "They said the most awful things to Tetsu-kun..."

"What kind of things?" That idiot Kagami asked. Momoi hesitated and bit her lip.

"One of them was talking about how he was so pretty, and he wanted to ride Tetsu-kun, and..."

"What?!" Kagami recoiled, looking oh, so shocked. Kuroko had been right; he was innocent.

"Did you specify who would be playing with Kuroko?" Akashi questioned pointedly.

"Why are you focused on the basketball game?" Aomine snapped. "We can deal with those fuckers off the court!"

"Aomine," Akashi said, in a voice that made everyone present shiver, "Momoi-san clearly knows who their assailants are, so we will have no difficulty tracking them down. And do you believe Kuroko would like us to start a fight? Or settle this on a basketball court?"

"You mean we would play together again?" Midorima asked cautiously. "In a real game?"

"Yes," Akashi replied. "I think Momoi-san will have ensured that we can play the people who targeted our own." Momoi nodded.

"I said we'd bring some other second years," she agreed. "They didn't care enough to ask who."

"So they aren't high school basketball players," Riko assed, her arms folded tightly. Because anyone in the high school circuit would be leery of facing the Generation of Miracles.

"They are from the Hokkaido University basketball team," Momoi replied.

"That means that we will be at a disadvantage in therms of physique," Akashi assessed. "They will be able to make the most of their skills for the duration of the game, while we cannot, yet."

"Wait a minute," Kagami interrupted, because there were people in the world stupider than Aomine, no matter what the others said, "you can't seriously think that the six of you can take on a university basketball team."

"You've never _seen_ what the six of us can do," Aomine snapped, needing somewhere to vent his temper. "You - and your seniors - never faced us in third year. When we play three on three with you, we're _playing_. We won't be playing in this game."

"Aomine is correct," Akashi agreed. "There is a difference between us playing games, and us executing strategies in a match. We have no reason, at all, to hold back. Kuroko himself said they are unfit to play basketball."

"We didn't triple the scores of other teams, in third year," Midorima added. "We often had _fifteen_ _times_ as many points as our opponents. Sometimes our opponents failed to score at all." Kagami seemed to have trouble wrapping his head around that.

"We broke the team so we could play against each other," Murasakibara explained, "because everyone else was boring. I even had to move." That point clearly still bothered Murasakibara.

"Going to Akita has been very good for you, Murasakibara," Akashi assured the giant.

"Hmm, well if Aka-chin says so."

"Kagami, I'd like to ask you to be one of our bench players." Aomine grimaced, but knew that they needed more people in case of injuries or over-exhaustion. "Himuro, Takao, I'd like to make that request of you, as well."

"You don't intend to take anyone from your team?" Hiumro asked, not directly answering Akashi.

"Momoi-san specified second years, and my three strongest players are third years," Akashi explained.

"Well, if Murasakibara and Kuroko are coming down for it, I can come along," Himuro agreed.

"Ah," Takao hesitated, glancing at Midorima. What the hell was going on there? Normally he was all over the shooter. Was it because Midorima was dating Kuroko now? "If it's for Tet-chan, I guess I'm in."

"I'm in," Kagami said, looking all fired up about it. "I can't wait to face a university team! This is going to be awesome!" Akashi looked like he was holding back a sigh. _And people call me a basketball idiot_ , Aomine thought.


	31. Chapter 31

While reviews, follows and favourite are always appreciated, I'm pretty ruffled right now, so they gain extra appreciation. Somewhat astonishingly, we have made it past 250 follows, and 200 favourites & reviews. You guys are totally awesome & thank you for supporting my stay sane project!

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Wanting to comfort Kuroko in private, Kise had led the silent and unresisting bluenette to the nurse's station; one autograph and bright smile later, they were left alone in it. Kuroko very deliberately placed his vanilla shake on the table, but before Kise could open his mouth to ask Kuroko how he was, the bluenette had thrown himself into his arms, shaking.

"Kurokocchi," Kise whispered, shocked, gently wrapping his arms around the bluenette. Kise had known Kuroko was upset, but he must have been determinedly clinging onto his composure for Momoi's sake. "What happened?"

"One of them forced my chin up, and-" Kuroko's voice trembled. "His fingers... It reminded me of... It felt just like..." Kise felt his stomach churn. No wonder vanilla shake wasn't enough to comfort Kuroko today. "Kiss me," the bluenette pleaded desperately, tears in his eyes. Kise felt his own eyes cloud at his loved one's pain. Their lips came together frantically, and Kuroko pulled himself up on Kise as if he was trying to climb into his mouth. Kise held nothing back, offering Kuroko all of his love and desire. Their tongues tangled, and Kise carefully cradled the bluenette's head in his hand, raising him up for the kiss. Kise felt his body heat as Kuroko moulded into him. Finally, they drew apart slightly, needing air. Their checks were damp, but neither commented on it. Kise sat down on the bed and pulled Kuroko on his lap.

"What can I do, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked, nuzzling the bluenette. He wanted to make things _right_ for Kuroko, wanted to take away all his pain.

"I always hated the taste," Kuroko eventually commented quietly. "When someone came in my mouth, it would stick in my throat, and it seemed like nothing could get it out."

"Except vanilla shake," Kise prompted, when Kuroko fell silent.

"Yes," Kuroko agreed, his tone lightening slightly at the thought of his favourite drink, "except vanilla shake... It's strange how they can look so similar, but taste so different," Kuroko mused. Kise didn't find it strange at all, but let it slide.

"Do you want some?" Kise asked, motioning to the cup sitting on the desk. Kuroko glanced at it, then at Kise.

"I want to taste it on you," Kuroko declared boldly, raising his chin and meeting Kise's eyes squarely. Kise blushed, but reached for the cup and took a sip; even when Kuroko was happy, it was hard for Kise to deny him anything. Today, it would have been impossible. Kuroko shifted so he could face Kise and began to explore his mouth, looking for traces of vanilla in every corner. The model allowed himself to be pushed down and kissed Kuroko back, running his hands over the bluenette's chest. Kuroko moaned into his mouth, making Kise smile faintly.

"Take off your shirt," Kise mumbled, pulling away momentarily. "I'm supposed to be giving you a massage." Kuroko met his eyes for a moment, a flash of humour visible to anyone who knew him, then pulled his shirt over his head. Kise took a moment to admire the porcelain skin exposed before him. "You're so beautiful, Kurokocchi."

"I think you're the beautiful one," Kuroko replied, because apparently today was a day for honesty. Kise felt his cheeks flame and was briefly glad that Kuroko wasn't normally like this; he would _never_ survive it. Kise let Kuroko take the lead, exploring him with his hands and mouth.

"Well," a familiar voice commented, startling them apart, and forcing Kuroko to brace his hands on the model's shoulders, "I suppose it's a good thing I was the one to come get you." They glanced over to see Akashi standing in the doorway holding a bottle in his hand.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko greeted, panting slightly. Kise smiled, pleased with himself, and settled his hands on the bluenette's slim waist. There was no sign of tears anymore.

"As it happened, Midorima's lucky item today is coconut oil, so we will use that for your massage." The redhead stepping in, closing the door behind him. Kuroko was staring at him wide-eyed.

"Akashi-kun," he repeated nervously, but that was as far as he got.

"We're running late, so we'll need to do this as efficiently as possible." It was impossible to miss the redhead's smirk. "Kise, you massage his front; I'll take the back." Akashi scooped some oil onto his hand then passed the bottle to Kise. Kise could see flashes of Akashi's hands as they moved over Kuroko's shoulders, then down his back. Given the way the bluenette writhed, Kise knew that Akashi must have slid his hands into Kuroko's pants to kneed his ass.

"Mmm," Kuroko moaned, melting into the redhead's touch. Kise met Akashi's eyes briefly over Kuroko then added his hands to the mix. Kise took a moment to tug on Kuroko's nipples, delighted by the way the bluenette arched into his touch. And if he shifted to lick a trail down Kuroko's chest, well, no one could blame him. Akashi chuckled, biting the junction of Kuroko's neck and shoulder. Between them, the bluenette squirmed helplessly. "Akashi-kun, Kise-kun," he pleaded.

"Hmm," the redhead acknowledged. "Was there something you wanted, Kuroko?" Kuroko sent a weak glare over his shoulder to Akashi.

"You're mean," he complained breathlessly.

"Am I?"

"Please let me come," Kuroko panted.

"What do you think, Kise?" Akashi asked, reaching around to slide his hand just inside the top of Kuroko's shorts. Kuroko sat up leaned his head back on Akashi's shoulder with a gasp. "Would you like to touch our lovely Kuroko?" As if Kise hadn't been dreaming about doing just that for years.

"Are you ok with that, Kurokocchi?"

"Hurry _up_ ," Kuroko demanded, making Akashi laugh. That was clear enough for Kise. He reached out and undid the waist of Kuroko's pants, sliding them down until his cock was exposed, nestled in a tuft of sky blue hair. Kise wrapped his hand around and began pumping, pleased to see the bluenette trying to thrust into his hand.

"Go ahead," Akashi urged. "Loose yourself." A moment later, Kuroko came hard into a cloth which Akashi had magicked up from somewhere. Kuroko collapsed bonelessly against Kise, his mostly naked body tempting the blond. Carefully, Kise rolled the bluenette onto his back, leaving him totally exposed to their hungry gazes. Kise gently used the cloth to wipe Kuroko up.

"Kise-kun!" Kuroko protested, obviously embarrassed.

"Let me," Kise insisted, wanting to examine every part of his lover's body. It was the first time he had touched Kuroko so intimately, and he wanted to commit it to memory.

"Well, we won't need to worry about you injuring yourself now." Akashi purred, satisfied. Kuroko laughed helplessly, and a tension Kise had been carrying since he first learnt of the bluenette's disappearance eased.

"What about you two?" Because Kuroko wasn't someone who could take without giving in return, but had a game starting.

"We'll have more time to enjoy ourselves tonight at your place," Akashi told him smugly. Kuroko turned to look at him.

"Is _that_ what we're doing tonight?" Kuroko was blushing heavily as he asked.

"We may eat at some point, too, I suppose," Akashi teased.

"Akashi-kun!" Kuroko protested, hiding his face in his hands, because cute clearly didn't have limits.

"You've got a match to play," Akashi reminded him. "You need to get going."

"I can't believe we just did that in the nurse's station," Kuroko muttered, getting up and collecting himself. Kise felt his cheeks heat, although Akashi simply observed them; he had always been strangely shameless.

"We'll be watching," Kise assured Kuroko. "Good luck!"

"Thank you, Kise-kun, Akashi-kun." With that, the embarrassed bluenette left the room. Kise and Akashi looked at each other in silence for a moment, awkwardly ignoring the fact that why were both still hard.

"What's the plan?" Kise questioned, because Akashi _always_ had a plan.

"While Kuroko is in town, I'd like you to stay by his side." Kise nodded, having intended to do so regardless. "You're the only one trained in personal protection, so if anything happens, I'll leave it to you."

"Thank you, Akashicchi," Kise answered, moved, because being trusted to protect the person they both loved was not small.

"Momoi is sufficiently riled up about the way they treated Kuroko to start gathering their data, although I have insisted that she bring Aomine with her wherever she goes."

"This is like a battle plan," Kise noted, trying to add humour to the situation. Akashi's fiery gaze rebuffed that effort.

"Did Kuroko tell you what they did?"

"What they did?" Kise repeated, because that really didn't sound good.

"The one targeting Kuroko shoved his fingers into his mouth," Akashi explained. "He apparently realized that Kuroko knew how to breathe around them and..."

"He realized that Kurokocchi has given head before," Kise finished in dismay, whatever desire was left in him burning out. That was a secret they had been protecting for years, and now some asshole strangers knew about it?

"I don't think you can call what Kuroko went through giving head so much as having his mouth fucked, but yes, they are aware that Kuroko has been with men."

"Shit," Kise muttered, channeling Aomine in his dismay.

"They are from Hokkaido, so the chances of Kuroko running into them again before the match are slim." Kise nodded, aware of that, but any threat to Kuroko was something he couldn't tolerate. "It's time to go watch the game," Akashi announced. "Kuroko will need our support this evening. Although I think we distracted him enough, in the meantime." Akashi sounded amused, and, inevitably, a little smug.

"Was that really what he needed?" Kise asked, because sure, Kuroko had seemed to want it, but...

"We can't take away his bad memories," Akashi answered, unusually gentle, "we can only try to overwrite them with good." After considering it for a moment, Kise nodded; that made sense.

"Let's give Kurokocchi as many good memories as possible!" He gushed, because it helped him to have goals.

"Of course," Akashi agreed, opening the door. They made it to the gym in time to see the teams lining up.

"Over here, Sei-chan!" Mibuchi, the Uncrowned King, must have been watching for them, because he started waving vigorously as they entered. They headed over, noticing how packed the stadium was. The Generation of Miracles best offence against their best defence: it was a highly anticipated game, and only the fact that their teams were sitting together and had saved them seats allowed Kise and Akashi to continue talking. Kise wondered if Akashi had arranged that beforehand.

"Who do you think will win, Akashicchi?" Kise asked, aware of the way people's ears strained to hear their discussion; he was certain Akashi was aware of it, too.

"Yonsen," Akashi replied unhesitatingly. The reply caused a faint stir around them, but nobody commented.

"Eh? Even though Kurokocchi is handicapped?" Normally having Kuroko on Murasakibara's side would have been enough to tip the balance, but having used Misdirection Overflow against Too before, and trained with them recently, Kuroko's Misdirection wasn't likely to work.

"Have you ever known that to stop him, Kise?"

"Well, no." Because that was Kuroko all over. But how do you overcome it when your special weapon is useless?

"Just watch, Kise," Akashi instructed. So he did. And as far as he could tell, Kuroko was _still_ disappearing on the court. He wanted to ask, but was too caught up in the play to talk. Aomine, clearly still stressed over the attack on Kuroko and Momoi was going all out; Murasakibara was responding with ever more vigour as the game progressed. Kise couldn't think of a game which had gotten Murasakibara so intense, so early on. They were winding each other up, and even during the breaks, there seemed to be no stopping it. Momoi and Kuroko both seemed a little too fragile to tackle their friends' tempers; especially since everyone relevant knew why they were angry.

"Wait a minute," Kise murmured, eyes wide. They were most of the way through the second half when it dawned on him. "Is Kurokocchi hiding _behind_ Murasakibaracchi?" Beside him, Akashi chuckled.

"It's more than that. Kuroko is using his observational skills to hide even his shadows; there's nothing to give him away." Kise had respected Kuroko from the first time he had seen him play in a match, but realizing how many things Kuroko had to be tracking to make that plan work was humbling.

"He's using his sight like yours, right?" Kise confirmed, more riveted than ever. "To keep up with Murasakibaracchi."

"Yes," Akashi agreed. "Our Kuroko is very impressive."


	32. Chapter 32

I owe all of you a very sincere apology for my negligence.

Here's what happened:

I was struggling to work out the next chapter when my husband mentioned to me that drawing fictional stick figures having sex would be illegal in Canada if it was in any way implied that they were under 18. He then proceeded to ask if I knew the laws regarding writing. The answer, sadly, was _no_. Petrified that I was now responsible for the creation  & distribution of illegal content, I did some reading & looked at books which are sold in Canada. I _think_ I am in the clear.

It had never, honestly, occurred to me that writing about fictional characters having sex might be illegal, since if they were real people in Canada, it would be legal for them to have sex. The possibility that it might be legal to writing about crimes (such as murder), but illegal to write about legal actions (like consensual sex between teenagers), threw me. I had to work on a different story where everyone is over 18 to gather up my courage to come back to this. All of this said, if anyone is familiar with Canadian law and believes my content to be illegal, please let me know immediately and I will remove the M scenes.

This isn't the chapter I had meant to put here, but if no one objects to my content, I might add it as an omake later.

In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thank you for all the support and hanging in there. Your reviews always mean a lot to me. I will try to update more regularly again.

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It had been a bad day. Shutoku's loss to Kaijo in the quarter finals stung, and Takao was aware that he carried a large part of the blame for that. Things had been awkward with Midorima since his confession, and Takao had been missing passes. He was bringing the team down, and he knew that Coach Nakatani was considering pulling him from the starting line. He needed to get his act together. How was he going to play with the Generation of Miracles against the people who had attacked Kuroko and Momoi-san like this? He was still a little stunned to have been included, even if he was just a branch warmer. At this rate, though, all he would do was embarrass himself. Takao knew he needed to get himself sorted out, and there was only one way he could think of to do that.

He looked at his phone, almost sick with nerves, but forced himself to call Kuroko; they had exchanged numbers while Kuroko was attending Shutoku, although it was the first time Takao had used it. Takao wanted to talk with the bluenette in person, and if he didn't call now, he wouldn't be able to see Kuroko for at least another week. He couldn't do it. He couldn't keep going, practicing with Midorima and pretending everything was ok when it wasn't. It was _so far_ from ok. How had he ever thought he would be alright with Midorima dumping him? There was an ache in his chest, and it wouldn't _go away_ , and everywhere he looked, all he could see where things that reminded him of the shooter: the things that had been his lucky items, his ridiculous little habits, that stiff way he moved when he was embarrassed or angry. It was all in Takao's head, and nothing seemed to get it out.

"Kuroko? Do you have time?" Takao asked when Kuroko's monotonous voice answered on the second ring. Takao hoped that he hadn't hesitated too long, that Kuroko wasn't already on his way back to Akita.

"Takao-kun? Did you need me for something?" To Kuroko, it must seem like he had called out of the blue; in truth, he had been working up the courage to make this call for weeks now.

"Umm, could we meet up? If you're free? I'd really like to talk." He hoped Kuroko didn't notice the quaver in his voice.

"Sure. Would you mind if Murasakibara-kun comes with me?" Takao frowned, having forgotten that the bluenette would be travelling with the giant.

"Um," Takao faltered, because he did mind, but he was the one imposing on Kuroko and -

"I'll get Murasakibara-kun to pick up some snacks for the train ride back," Kuroko told Takao, apparently understanding his hesitation. "I can come now, if you like."

"Please," Takao tried not to sound like he was begging.

"Where?"

"Maji Burger, I'll buy you a shake." Because anyone who spent time with the bluenette knew about his addiction to vanilla shakes. And Takao was fine with bribery if it helped his cause; he needed to sweeten the bluenette up for what he was going to say.

"It'll take half an hour," Kuroko warned.

"That's fine," Takao assured him. "I'll be waiting."

Takao let out a deep breath as he hung up the phone, relieved that Kuroko had agreed to the meeting. He hadn't seen Kuroko off the basketball court since he left Shutoku, and was desperately nervous about this meeting. He hadn't been this anxious since he had confessed to Shin-chan. If he were honest, he hadn't been this nervous then; he had already known what Midorima's decision would be. He walked quickly to Maji Burger, ordering a vanilla shake for Kuroko and a chocolate one for himself. He found a table he could watch the door from, wanting those few seconds where Kuroko would walk towards him to steel his courage.

"Takao-kun," Kuroko said politely, twenty-six minutes after they had hung up. Takao had been checking his phone impatiently, aware of every minute passing. His stomach was rolling and he'd hardly taken a sip of his drink in all the time he'd been waiting.

"Kuroko-kun," he replied seriously. He saw the bluenette's expression settle, as though Takao's greeting had confirmed something for him. Instead of starting small talk, Kuroko simply took the seat across from him and waited for Takao to explain. Buying himself time by taking a sip of his shake, he slid Kuroko's vanilla shake across the table and waited until Kuroko had begun to drink it before answering the silent question. Predictably, the bluenette glowed, but possibly because of the company, it was more toned down than usual. "I don't really know how to say this, but I haven't been doing well."

"Yes," Kuroko agreed solemnly, "you look very bad." Takao hit his head on the table. That was _so_ not what he wanted to hear, especially from Kuroko. He lifted his head off the table and forced himself to continue.

"You know that I loved Shin-chan." Kuroko simply nodded, leaving the burden of the conversation on Takao's shoulders. Well, that was fair, he _had_ asked for it. "Well, I still do, and... He said that he was sharing you with others." He couldn't quite bring himself to just ask, but, again, all he got was that blank nod, giving Takao no idea how his words were being received. "How does that work?"

"...We are still working things out, but I am currently dating Midorima-kun, Aomine-kun, Akashi-kun, Kise-kun, and Murasakibara-kun."

"...That's pretty amazing, Kuroko," Takao commented, eyes wide. He had known that they were intending to share, but that was a lot of lovers for one person. The thought of the complexity involved in making that work momentarily distracted him from his own pain.

"Hmm," Kuroko agreed, blushing slightly. He looked beautiful and it made something inside Takao twist. "It has taken some getting used to. It wouldn't work if they couldn't get along." They sat in silence evaluating each other before Takao got to the point.

"Would you be willing to share Shin-chan - Midorima - with me?" The words were so hard to force out, and the slight widening of Kuroko's eyes was the first sign of surprise the other had shown. "I won't impose," Takao pleaded, abandoning his pride because Midorima was worth _so much_ more than that, "I know that you'll come first, but-"

"I'm sorry," Kuroko interrupted, causing Takao's heart to plummet and tears to form, "I should have thought of that." _Wait, what? Is he saying it's ok?_ Takao wondered, staring blurrily at Kuroko. _Did I just hear that right?_

"Really? You don't mind sharing?" Because that really wasn't how Takao had expected the conversation to go.

"I...didn't think Takao-kun had any interest in sharing," Kuroko deflected, watching him carefully.

"I didn't, at first," Takao admitted, "but even when I knew I loved Shin-chan, it wasn't until he left that I realized how much-" Takao's voice broke and tears spilled down his cheeks. He swiped them away, frustrated.

"Midorima-kun misses you, too," Kuroko told him gently, unexpectedly, reaching out and patting his arm.

"So you're ok with me..."

"We need to ask Midorima-kun," the bluenette pointed out reasonably, "but I think it will be nice having you around." Kuroko smiled for the first time since walking into the restaurant and Takao could see how it was a smile you could easily fall in love with.

"I'm _so sorry_ ," Takao apologized, mortified by the understanding in that smile because he didn't _deserve_ it.

"Takao-kun?" Kuroko asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

"I've been so jealous," Takao confessed, "I've hated you, and I've been awful, and..." His voice broke because how could he have thought those things? How could he have been anything but concerned when he realized that Kuroko had been attacked yesterday? Where had his humanity gone? "I'm _so sorry_ ," he repeated brokenly.

"When I lost Midorima-kun and the others to their skill with basketball," Kuroko replied, in what seemed like a very abrupt change in topic, "I hated basketball. Even though it was something I had loved, even though it had brought us together, when basketball took them away from me, I hated it." Takao didn't think that was the same thing, but forced himself to appreciate the fact that Kuroko simply accepted his jealousy and bitterness. "Takao-kun forgave Midorima-kun for crushing him in junior high." Kuroko's voice was entirely steady, a stark contrast to the mess Takao had made of himself. "I know that you can forgive me for being loved by Midorima-kun. He loves you, too, after all." Kuroko's certainty that Takao was that strong, that he was loved, moved him, and he took a shuddering breath.

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

"Would you like me to tell Midorima-kun?" Kuroko questioned. Since this had been such a faint hope, Takao hadn't actually thought about how he would approach Midorima; he'd simply known that Midorima wouldn't agree unless Kuroko did first, even if Kuroko was right and Midorima did love him. Takao wasn't sure he believed that, but he _wanted to_ and painful hope filled his chest.

"Maybe I could tell him?" Takao asked tentatively, stifling the impulse to run to Midorima's side. Kuroko nodded.

"My train leaves soon," he said, "so if that's all," and he got up with a bow. "Thank you," he added, gesturing to his milkshake.

"Wait, Kuroko, I-" Takao ran out of words because there were none. How could he thank Kuroko for sharing when he didn't need to? Midorima wouldn't have asked to include Takao, even if he missed him. "Thank you!" Takao bowed, deeply, and held it as Kuroko walked out. Takao pulled out his phone, but his hands were shaking and he wanted to do this in person. He tossed out his shake and headed for the condo building Midorima now resided in.

Even though he'd picked up Kuroko, he'd never been inside the building and was a little astonished to realized how opulent it was. It was a little hard to picture Midorima comfortable with all this wealth. It was only once he got inside the elevator that he realized he had a problem; you needed a key to be able to go to the top floor. Foiled, he went to the concierge desk.

"Excuse me," he said, ignoring the way the man examined his face, apparently aware that he had been crying. "I'm trying to visit my friend on the top floor."

"Is Akashi-sama expecting you?" _Akashi-sama?_ Takao wondered, but simply shook his head.

"Not him. I'm visiting his roommate Midorima." The man held his gaze.

"Is he expecting you?"

"Ah, no." He hadn't realized he needed to call ahead, he'd just wanted to talk to Midorima.

"Your name, sir?"

"Takao." The concierge picked up the phone on his desk and waited.

"Excuse me, Midorima-sama," _What was with this guy and 'sama'? Since when do some high school boys qualify for that level of respect?_ Takao wondered. "There's a Takao-san downstairs who would like to talk to come up." There was a pause and then the man said goodbye and hung up. "Please follow me," he said, getting up from his chair and moving to the elevator. He stepped inside, swiped a card from his pocket, hit the button and stepped back out.

"Thanks," Takao said as the doors slid closed. He wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. Given the way the concierge had looked at him, he thought he might. The ride was too short, and the doors opened. Midorima was standing in front of them, looking so confused.

"Takao?" He asked. Then he apparently considered the situation, and added: "Why are you here?" It was Sunday night, they had school tomorrow, they had just seen each other at the game: it was a perfectly reasonable question and Takao struggled with the answer.

"I-" He began, but words failed him. He was facing Midorima, and it had been _so long_ since he had looked in his eyes, and they were just as vibrant and beautiful as ever. "I love you," fell out his mouth, and Midorima stiffened. "I was just talking to Kuroko, and he said he was ok with sharing you, if that's what you wanted," he continued quickly, because he couldn't handle it if he was rejected _again_. "Please," he begged, because he had realized that love and pride didn't coexist well.

"Takao," Midorima murmured, apparently astonished. A hesitant smile broke out on his face and Takao realized that today was a _good_ day.


	33. Chapter 33

I was braced for a rain of hate with my last chapter, so I wanted to thank those who supported (and those who politely decried the chapter, because free speech still matters to me). I never want to sound preachy (and I rarely read authors' comments, because so many do), but I wanted to explain a little what I did there.

In my life, I have only gotten two tips for writing stories that I find truly useful. The first is 'show, don't tell,' meaning if I have to spell out the fact that the characters are in love, I haven't done a good enough job of portraying it through their words and actions. The second is 'stay true to the characters.' There are scenes I wanted to have happen, but I hold this rule as absolute, so if it means having characters behave in a way they wouldn't, I need to either be able to explain the change or cut the scene. Initially, when I started this story, I had intended Mido/Taka without Mido/Kuro; I didn't want being a Miracle to be enough to guarantee him as one of Kuroko's boyfriends, and out of all the KnB characters, I feel like Midorima goes through the greatest character development in the canon. That said, as I worked on this story, I realized that Midorima wasn't as over Kuroko as I thought. I'm telling you this, because I won't guarantee the success or failure of any relationship which emerges in this story until it is complete. I can control outside factors like the weather, characters meeting new people, or catching colds, but once I have set the scene, I need to do my very best to have them stay true to themselves. I hope you feel this is reflected in my work.

I had hoped to get this to you yesterday, and obviously I'm still struggling, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Since no one decried me as a criminal, I'm going forward on the assumption that I'm not. To my astonishment, we are over 300 follows and at 240 favourites, so I wanted to thank you all for your support!

Enjoy your holidays!

* * *

 _It's too much._

Kuroko had never imagined that you could have too much vanilla, but Murasakibara had managed the impossible. They had vanilla pudding in the morning, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla ice cream, vanilla cookies, vanilla fudge, vanilla gum, vanilla creme brule, vanilla tooth paste, vanilla body cream...

 _Maybe it's my mood,_ Kuroko mused, _because it really can't be vanilla's fault._ Loosing to Rakuzan by _five_ points in the finals had been frustrating, especially since they'd beaten Too _and_ Kaijo to get there. Kuroko had known that Akashi would understand his technique, but his counter in anticipating Kuroko's every move had been flawless. Privately, Kuroko had wondered if Akashi was nervous about loosing to Murasakibara again, and had pushed himself extra hard for victory. _Then again,_ Kuroko thought, _Akashi isn't someone who needs an excuse to push himself._ Kuroko sighed looking at the vanilla feast in front of him, before moving that aside and pulling out his homework.

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, walking into the room. "Are you ticklish?" As far as Kuroko was concerned, his question came out of the blue.

"No," Kuroko replied, a little too quickly.

"Eh?" A smile slowly bloomed on the giant's face. Kuroko cursed himself for his knee-jerk reaction. "So Kuro-chin _is_ ticklish."

"Don't be absurd," Kuroko denied, a little frantically.

"Hmm," Murasakibara pondered, eyes lit with mischief, as he moved towards the bluenette, "then there's no problem if I try, right Kuro-chin?"

"I don't think there's any need for that." Kuroko was fighting desperately to keep his panic out of his voice, but the gleam in his friend's eyes told him that he wasn't getting away. _I'm lucky no one thought of this earlier_ , Kuroko admitted, getting up and trying to make a dash for the door. Inevitably, Murasakibara intercepted him before he got more than a few steps towards it. He faced the giant, gauging the situation.

"Where are you ticklish, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, looking fully engaged in the conversation, for once. Kuroko tried to use his misdirection to escape, but Murasakibara had known him too long for that to be effective. "Hmm, I guess I'll just have to try everywhere." Kuroko wiggled past the giant, but in his haste, tripped. Before he knew what was happening, Murasakibara had caught him, shifting them to land in a tangle of limbs on the sofa, Kuroko settled on top. "Are you ok, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yes, thank you for catching me," Kuroko replied evenly. "Now, if you'll just let me get up -" Between one breath and the next, Murasakibara flipped Kuroko over and pinned his arms together above his head.

"I'll try here." Murasakibara resumed his play, reaching with his free hand for Kuroko's sides. Kuroko squirmed, trying to break free.

"Ah!" He yelped as Murasakibara successfully tickled him. Kuroko writhed under Murasakibara's ministrations, growing flush and panting as he struggled for breath; his poker face was nowhere in evidence. He was distantly glad that they had ended up on the couch; the floor was too hard for this.

"Heh," Murasakibara murmured, visibly pleased with Kuroko's reaction. Kuroko's shirt had ridden up in the struggle, and Murasakibara took the opportunity to slide his hand under the shirt.

"Ah," Kuroko gasped, the warmth of skin on skin startling him.

"Hmm, I like this." Murasakibara's hand glided across Kuroko's chest, sliding the shirt further up.

"What?" Kuroko asked, still disoriented and trying to catch his breath.

"Kuro-chin looks so sexy right now." Kuroko's face, already flushed, went bright red. "What does Kuro-chin taste like?" Before Kuroko could assemble a reply to that, or even fully understand the question, Murasakibara dipped his head down and licked one of Kuroko's nipples, finding out for himself. His hair brushed across Kuroko's chest, adding to the stimulus. They had never gone this far before, but Kuroko felt comfortable with him now, in a way he hadn't when he arrived in Akita. Murasakibara's kindness had not not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.

"Ah!" Kuroko's voice turned hoarse.

"Hmm," Murasakibara murmured, examining the bluenette pinned beneath him. "I'll stop if Kuro-chin tells me to," but before Kuroko could tell him anything, Murasakibara was lapping his other nipple.

"Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko groaned. Murasakibara met his eyes, then reached down with his free hand and cupped Kuroko's cock through his jeans. Kuroko's breath caught at the sensation.

"I wonder what Kuro-chin tastes like here," Murasakibara pondered, rubbing Kuroko's quickly hardening cock. Kuroko's breath was coming out in harsh gasps, but he made no effort to stop his friend. After giving Kuroko a minute to decide, Murasakibara unzipped the bluenette, and freed the now stiff member. "So cute," he commented, examining the flesh he now held. Kuroko tried to glare, but a moan came out instead as Murasakibara shifted, letting go of Kuroko's hands, and swallowing the bluenette's cock.

"Murasakibara-kun!" Kuroko cried out, as much in pleasure as in shock. Murasakibara kept his eyes locked with the bluenette's as he worked his mouth up and down Kuroko's cock. Kuroko was vaguely aware that he should stop this, but no one in his life had ever tried to pleasure him like this, and it was _so nice_ to have someone think of him. If Murasakibara's tongue felt good in his mouth, it felt...oh, there were _no words_... for how it felt licking and circling his cock. It didn't take long for Kuroko to come, spilling down Murasakibara's throat, who swallowed every drop.

"Feel good, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, looking far too pleased with himself as the bluenette tried to assemble his scattered wits. His lovers really did look far too smug when they made him come. He'd have to do something about that.

"Not.. just me," Kuroko eventually ground out, sitting up and pushing Murasakibara down on the sofa.

"Eh?" Murasakibara asked, patently shocked, "is Kuro-chin going to suck me off, too?"

"Yes," Kuroko answered, fighting for composure. He unzipped Murasakibara's pants, and pulled out his friend's already straining cock. Kuroko stared at it, nestled in the patch of violet hair.

"What is it?" Murasakibara questioned, as Kuroko simply ran his hand over the warm flesh.

"...it's large," Kuroko forced himself to reply.

"Eh? I think it's proportional though?" Kuroko resisted the urge to _bite_ Murasakibara for that remark. Kuroko sniffed Murasakibara's cock before darting his tongue out to taste the tip.

"Hmm," Kuroko murmured pensively. It didn't taste as bad as he remembered. Was it the situation that made it seem different, or had Murasakibara's love of sweets changed his flavour from the norm? Either way, Kuroko found it encouraging, and tried taking the tip in his mouth before slowly working his way down. It was the first time he had been able to take his time and really examine someone else's cock. "You can lick, too," Murasakibara suggested as the bluenette struggled with his length. Kuroko hummed his agreement with his mouth around the tip of Murasakibara's cock and the latter shivered at the sensation. Kuroko wanted to please Murasakibara, but struggled with his length, and wasn't comfortable swallowing him all down, as he had intended.

"Sorry," he murmured, when old memories forced him to back off.

"Don't worry, Kuro-chin, this feels good," Murasakibara assured him. Feeling that his friend was far too composed, Kuroko renewed his efforts. He worked his way up and down, licking, sucking, and using his hands to pump. He rolled Murasakibara's tight balls in one hand, and this seemed to push the giant to the edge. Murasakibara grabbed Kuroko's hair and pulled him back just before he came, which meant that Kuroko ended up with cum dripping down his face.

"We'll need to clean up," Kuroko finally commented, looking for a cloth to wipe his face with. He didn't, honestly, know how to feel after that, or how that had just escalated so quickly.

"Does Kuro-chin regret doing that with me?" Murasakibara asked, strangely perceptive, as Kuroko stood up. The question froze the bluenette in his tracks.

"No, I don't regret it, Murasakibara-kun," he answered gently, realizing that, at least, was true. The giant hummed, satisfied.

"What started this?" Kuroko questioned as he dampened a cloth in the kitchen.

"Some girls in class were talking about being really ticklish," Murasakibara replied, sitting up and watching Kuroko wipe off his face, "and it made me wonder if Kuro-chin is too." _Great_ , Kuroko thought, _just great._

* * *

"I hear Kurokocchi's ticklish," Kise said gleefully, sitting next to him on the bench in the change room. Kuroko gave Murasakibara a stink eye, but the giant only shrugged in reply.

"Kise-chin asked what we did yesterday, so I told him," Murasakibara explained, pulling on his new jersey. At that, Kuroko flushed and couldn't bring himself to meet the blond's eyes. Murasakibara had no doubt told Kise _everything_.

"That's a great way to relax before a game!" Kise exclaimed, apparently supportive. Well, Kuroko hadn't really expected anything else from the blond, but it was still awkward.

"What is?" Aomine asked, joining them.

"Blow jobs!" Kise replied, without visible embarrassment. Then again, it was hard for Kuroko to judge since he was staring down resolutely. He could see the hem of their new jerseys - and why did they need new jerseys for a single match? - and his knees. He had to admit, though, that he really liked the jerseys. He wasn't sure he deserved to have the word _Miracle_ printed in bold white letters on his black shirt, but they looked _good_. Aomine made a strangled sound.

"Blow-" He choked out.

"Haven't you ever had one?" Kise asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Not everyone is a player like you!" Aomine snapped defensively.

"Aominicchi! It's not good to be jealous! We're all dating Kurokocchi now!" Kuroko buried his hands in his face. Kise was way too loud. If they didn't have a game starting, Kuroko would have tried to escape altogether.

"What's up?" Kagami asked, coming in with Himuro. Kuroko prayed for a meteorite to strike them. Something, _anything_ , needed to stop this train wreck of a conversation.

"Have you ever had a blow job, Kagamicchi?" Kise asked. Without looking, Kuroko knew that Kagami was beet red.

"Uh, well, no," he answered reluctantly.

"Really?" Kise questioned, sounding so genuinely surprised Kuroko almost turned to stare at him. "It depends on who's doing you, of course, but it can feel really great. Well, it always feels good, but..."

"Why are we discussing blow jobs?" Aomine interrupted, sounding irritated.

"We aren't," Akashi declared firmly, walking over with Midorima and Takao trailing behind him. Kuroko raised his head enough to smile at Takao, who was, predictably, snickering. Ever since their talk at Maji Burger, they'd been texting daily. Now that the tension had been removed, he had found he had a lot in common with Takao, and was always happy to hear Midorima stories. Takao was an excellent narrator - he saw the humour in practically _everything_ \- and Kuroko was glad that things seemed to be going well between Midorima and Takao, even if it highlighted the distance between them. "Since everyone is dressed -" Kuroko glanced around, surprised to realize that was true, "I'll have Momoi-san join us for a last minute walk-through of our strategy." She must have been waiting right outside the door, because a moment later she was there, armed with her clipboard and ready for battle. None of her usual playfulness was present, and anyone who met her now would understand that she was not someone you could afford to underestimate.

"Remember," she recapped, "they don't exactly play dirty, but they're not afraid of fouls. This will be a rough game, especially since their physique is overall better." Kuroko fought not to flinch at that statement. Of all the people on the team, his strength was the worst, and he hated bringing the standard down.

"It's not just you, Kuroko," Akashi assured him, forcing Momoi to pause in her explanations. "Excluding Murasakibara, none of us are able to use our full strength for an entire game yet. And Murasakibara," the red head added, turning to the giant, who froze with a chip headed for his mouth, "I know that you normally hold back to avoid injuring your teammates." Several people shifted at that remark. "If you do that today, I will personally devise your training menu for the remainder of your high school career."

"Aka-chin," Murasakibara protested, his eyes wide.

"We are not so weak that you need to hold back on our account," Akashi stated unequivocally, "and our opponents are strong enough to hold their own. _Don't hold back_." The words were a command, and Kuroko shivered at the intensity of them. Although the words had been meant for Murasakibara, all of the players stirred, as though moved by the force of them.

Today, they were going all out.


End file.
